Do Succulent Leaves Grow Back – Here’s The Facts!

Succulents are some of the most popular house plants you can get. They’re also some of the easiest, which might explain some of their popularity! For the most part, succulents will thrive with little care or attention. As long as you pot them properly and remember to water your succulents occasionally, they should do well. 

But, succulent owners have probably all lost a leaf or two off their precious plants. Succulent leaves are relatively delicate, and the plants quickly drop them when stressed. If you’ve lost succulent leaves, you might wonder, do succulent leaves grow back?

Succulents won’t grow the same leaves back most of the time. They’ll grow new leaves but don’t fill in the gaps where a leaf fell off. 

That might be disappointing news, but there is good news. Most succulents don’t mind losing a leaf or two – as long as their growing conditions are good, your succulents will recover fine. 

Better yet, those fallen leaves might be able to grow you a whole new succulent! 

Let’s talk about why succulents lose their leaves so often, what falling leaves tell you about your succulents, and how you can use the fallen leaves to make more succulents. 

Do Succulent Leaves Fall Off Easily? 

Succulents don’t tend to hold on to their leaves very hard. For the most part, a succulent should drop a damaged leaf and then try and keep it. 

Growing new leaves is easier for a succulent than repairing damaged ones. 

Plus, the leaves that fall of succulents can grow more succulents, even in the wild. So letting a few leaves fall now and again is a good survival strategy for most succulents. 

Knowing all that, it should make more sense that succulents will quickly drop leaves if you tug on them if the leaf starts to get water-rot or because of almost any kind of stress. 

The succulent itself isn’t losing much when it loses a single leaf, and that leaf might go on to grow a clone of the original succulent. 

Why Are My Succulent Leaves Falling Off At The Base? 

If your succulent has difficulty keeping its bottom leaves, that may cause more concern. While succulents drop leaves easily, their bottom leaves tend to be the oldest and most productive leaves. 

Losing one or two of the bottom leaves isn’t a big deal. Losing a lot of the leaves at the base can be a big problem for succulents – especially succulents that are relatively tall. 

Here are some of the most common reasons succulents lose their leaves at the base. 

Rough Handling

Succulents are likely to drop leaves if they aren’t left alone and if their pots aren’t stationary. Accidentally bumping your succulents is sometimes all it takes for your succulents to drop a leaf or two. 

Pets knocking over your succulent pots is another common reason for leaf drops. In worst-case scenarios, drops can kill or break your succulents in two. In this case, trying and salvage a few leaves is a good idea to see if you can grow a new succulent. 

The Roots Are Too Wet

Root rot is one of the most common problems with house plant succulents. People often overwater their succulents or keep them in containers that don’t have proper drainage. The result is root rot, leaf rot, and other problems. 

Fortunately, if you catch rotting issues early, you can often save your succulent. 

The first step is to dry out the soil in their current pot. Consider stabbing a chopstick or skewer through the soil several times to create aeration holes – the holes help the soil dry faster. 

Once the succulent is dry, it should start to recover. Carefully remove any rotting leaves; the rot can spread even once conditions are dry. 

After the succulent has recovered for at least one week, it’s time to think about switching pots. If your succulent’s current pot doesn’t have good drainage and consistently traps water, it’s time for a new one. 

Remember, looking up how to move succulents is always a good idea. Most succulents don’t like being planted in new containers; some may not be transplantable. 

If you have a succulent that can’t be moved between different containers, consider propagating a leaf to grow a new succulent in a better pot. 

Some Succulent Diseases

Root rot and leaf rot are by far the most common diseases in succulents. But powdery mildew and leaf spot can also be a problem. 

If your succulent seems to have powdery mildew or leaf spot, the first step is to isolate them from your other succulents. Diseases can spread quickly between plants, so it’s best to quarantine infected ones as much as possible. 

In the case of leaf spots, remove the affected leaves as soon as possible. Any leaves that can’t be removed should be treated by sprinkling charcoal powder on the affected area. 

For powdery mildew, sprinkle a small amount of baking soda on the affected leaves. Wipe clean after several days and repeat as necessary.