Succulent Turning Pink? (6 Causes + FIX)

You may be inquiring, “Why is my succulent turning pink?” There are several reasons why your succulent may be going through this change. These include Overwatering, Heat stress, poor soil quality, and nutrient deficiencies. However, there is no reason to panic! There are several simple ways to remedy the problem.

Of course, long-term stresses could be detrimental to your plant, particularly if you don’t address the issue in time.

This article will examine the different reasons your succulent’s color changes and the best way to correct the issue. If you’re suffering from this issue and want to learn more, continue reading.

Succulent Turning Pink? (6 Causes + FIX)

If your succulent begins to turn pink, you could be very worried, thinking that it is due to a dying plant.

Succulents change color in response to stresses in their surroundings. Being among the toughest and most challenging houseplants, they generally require an extended time to strain them enough to trigger hue changes in their leaves.

It would be best if you remembered that succulents adjust to their surroundings. So when you notice abrupt changes in any area of their environment or the care they receive, they’ll respond since they don’t tolerate drastic changes in their environment well.

The most frequent factors that cause succulents’ to turn pink include too much sun, insufficient sunlight, insufficient watering, root rot temperature changes, and nutrient deficiency.

Temperature Fluctuations

Your succulent turning pink could be because you’re exposing it to an extremely high temperature than what it’s used to.

The plant may be exposed to direct sunlight that is unfiltered or is located close to an electric heater or is situated in a location where the heater strikes direct with hot air.

This stress causes plants to produce anthocyanin, which is, as mentioned above, a purple pigment that is as pink in the presence of chlorophyll in the plant.

Overheated temperatures can lead to damage to the tissues of your succulent. This damaged tissue will lead to poor photosynthesis, which can cause more discoloration.

In the same way, the plant’s location is subject to cold air, like close to an air conditioner or next to a door or window that allows cold air in, which can cause heat stress, producing a pink discoloration.

How to FIX

To repair any discoloration caused by temperature fluctuations, moving the plant to a location that isn’t subjected to excessive temperature or cold is best.

The ideal place to grow a succulent indoors is in a room with temperatures between 70-80 degrees Fahrenheit.

Insufficient Nutrition

They can also change color when they’re deficient in nutrients they require to function well, like nitrogen, phosphorus, or magnesium.

For instance, succulents require phosphorus to produce sugars and nucleic acid, which they use to produce energy.

Alongside changing color, wilt and yellowing are other indicators of a nutrient deficiency.

If you take too long to pot your succulent, it may cause a nutritional shortage as the soil of your plant will deplete minerals and nutrients.

How to FIX

Add fertilizers rich in nitrogen, phosphorus, or magnesium. Natural fertilizers include sodium nitrate, feather meal, hoof & horn meal, hair, fish meal, crab meal, animal tankage, bat guano, soybean meal, cottonseed meal, fish emulsion, manure, and compost.

Sunlight Overexposure

One of the main reasons your succulent may change color is that it’s suddenly getting more sunlight than usual, leading to sunburn.

The sunburn can be seen as pink within the foliage. It’s common to see this happen to succulents kept indoors for long periods and abruptly moved outdoors to their garden. The bright light shining on the succulent foliage may be quite a shock for the plant.

Another way that your succulent could get sunburned is if placed too near a glass window which magnifies the sun’s rays before hitting the plant’s foliage. This is typically the case when plants are located near south-facing windows.

How to FIX

To eliminate this discoloration caused by excessive light, shift the plant to a location where it will only get indirect sunlight for 6 hours each day, like an outdoor patio or just a few feet away from windows facing west.

If you’re planning on shifting an indoor plant into your outdoor space, slowly adapt the plant by increasing the amount of time it is in the sun every day. Then, acclimatize until the plant has completely adjusted to the new surroundings.

If you permit your gorgeous weather to become used to increasing sunshine over a few days, it will not be affected by the sun’s rays, and you’ll likely keep the green color.

Low Level of Light

Another cause for succulent turning pink is if it doesn’t receive enough light throughout the day.

Some succulents, including certain cacti, release anthocyanins when stressed by insufficient sunlight. Anthocyanin is a purple-colored pigment that, when mixed with chlorophyll’s green pigment, results in the pinkish color that you can see on the plant’s leaves.

It is important to remember that succulents require sunlight to grow and function properly. Without sunlight, they cannot synthesize photosynthesis and hence cannot make their food.

How to FIX

It’s pretty easy to treat the discoloration caused by succulents not getting enough sunlight. Move it to a location where it will be exposed to the bright indirect sunlight required throughout the day.

Overwatering

Another reason your succulent changes color is that it gets too much water.

This could be because you provide more water than it requires or more frequently than you should. In either case, this can lead to excessive watering, resulting in root rot.

Root rot is an illness that results from the roots of the plant constantly soaking in the soil, which causes them to drown and eventually die. Roots that are dead will start to decay and become susceptible to pathogens that can be shrewd, like fungi and bacteria. The pathogens that cause root rot become more aggressive, and eventually, the entire plant is attacked and dies.

The signs that your plant is excessively watered include leaves changing from pink to yellow to brown and red before becoming soft and mushy.

An incorrect pot mix could cause overwatering. It is a potting soil that is airy and porous, so air and water move through it quickly. If the pot you use has no drainage holes at the bottom, this could result in excess water sitting and cause it to cause root decay.

How to FIX

You should immediately stop feeding your plant if you think your succulent has turned pink due to excessive watering.

Take the plant out of its pot and rinse away as much old soil as possible. Do this with care so as not to harm the delicate roots. Check all the roots and if you notice any parts turning black or brown, trim them with sterile scissors.

Then, spread the plant on a clean towel and let it air dry for a few hours.

Make a new pot that has drainage holes at the bottom. Fill it to the top with two-thirds of fresh plant soil specifically created for succulents.

Plant the plants in the center of the soil. Complete the pot with potting soil. The soil should be gently brushed around the plant’s root.

Don’t apply water to the soil as it is already damp. It is best to wait a week before watering your newly planted plant.

To prevent overwatering, examine for the initial two inches using your finger before applying water to the plant. If it’s dry, then water it. However, if it’s still damp, let it sit for at least a few days before rechecking it.

Underwatering

Not adding enough water might not be as damaging as excessive watering. However, it could be why your succulent is turning pink.

If a succulent isn’t getting the water, it then turns purple and pink until it eventually turns brown. Then, finally, the leaves begin to dry and turn wrinkled and dry.

How to FIX

Fortunately, it’s much simpler to repair an underwater succulent than a wet one. If the soil inside the plant pot is dried, make sure to water it five times using the same amount of water as the size of the pot.

Once the soil is submerged, don’t water it until the two inches in the top have dried to the point of touch.

Regularly watering succulents is to water in only dry conditions. This will prevent the risk of overwatering and also diving into your succulent.

See Also: Rose Stems Turning Black? (5 Causes + FIX)

Conclusion: Succulent Turning Pink

Your succulent has turned pink because an environmental stressor causes the plant to react and show discoloration. This is the plant’s distress signal.

The most typical causes for the succulent turning pink are excessive sunlight, inadequate irrigation, root rot, temperature changes, and nutritional deficiency.

While succulents are believed to be one of the most durable and Hardesty species of plants, they have their limitations. When they reach these limits and respond accordingly, they’ll be a problem, and you’ll need to tackle the issue to keep your succulent in good health and content.

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