Why Your Succulent is Growing Tall and Stretching (and How to Fix It)
If your succulent is growing tall and leggy, itās a sign that itās not getting enough light. When this happens, the plant stretches out in search of more sunlight, making it look less compact. This process is called etiolation.
Further reading: How to Grow Succulents Indoors.
Why Do Succulents Stretch and Grow Tall?
Succulents naturally grow in a compact shape, but without enough light, they start reaching toward the nearest light source. At first, you might notice your plant leaning in one direction. If it still isnāt getting enough light, it will keep stretching upward, creating more space between its leaves.
This happens most often with indoor succulents or those placed in shady spots outside. Instead of using energy to grow strong and healthy, the plant puts all its effort into getting closer to the light.
Further reading: How much sun succulents need. Ā Ā
Signs Your Succulent Needs More Light
A stretching succulent will give you a few clues that it needs better lighting:
- Drooping Leaves: The leaves may start pointing downward as the plant adjusts to get more light.
- Leaning Toward Light: If the light source is off to one side, the plant will start tilting in that direction.
- Increased Height and Gaps Between Leaves: If the issue continues, the plant will grow taller with noticeable spaces between its leaves.
Can You Fix a Stretched Succulent?
Once a succulent stretches, it wonāt go back to its original shape. But you can stop it from stretching more and encourage healthier growth.
- Move It to a Brighter Spot: The sooner you increase its light exposure, the better. While the stretched part wonāt shrink, new growth will be more compact.
- Use a Grow Light: If you donāt have a bright enough spot, a grow light can help give your plant the light it needs.
- Trim and Propagate: If the stretched-out look bothers you, you can cut the top of the succulent and replant it. The trimmed top will grow roots, and the original plant will eventually sprout new leaves.
By giving your succulent the right amount of light, you can keep it looking full and healthy!
How to Propagate a Stretched Succulent
If your succulent has grown tall and leggy, you can propagate it to encourage new, compact growth.
Hereās how:
Materials
- Stretched out succulent
- Succulent soil
Tools
Instructions
- Cut the Crown ā Use clean scissors or shears to cut off the top of your succulent where the stem has stretched.
- Take Stem Cuttings ā Cut sections of the remaining stem, making sure each piece has at least two pairs of leaves.
- Remove Lower Leaves ā Gently strip off the bottom leaves from each cutting.
- Let the Cuttings Dry ā Allow the cut pieces to sit for a day or two so the ends can callus over.
- Plant in Soil ā Place the crown and stem cuttings in well-draining succulent soil, mixing in pumice or perlite for better drainage.
- Root Loose Leaves ā Any loose leaves can be placed on top of the soil to grow new plants.
- Provide Bright Indirect Light ā Keep the cuttings in bright indirect light until they start growing roots and new leaves.
- Gradually Increase Light ā Once you see new growth, move them closer to a window with more direct light.
Notes
Tip: Avoid checking for roots too often, as this can stress the cuttings and slow the process. Over time, the stem pieces will develop new roots and crowns, while the loose leaves will take longer but can also grow into new plants.
What about watering?
Hi Mary,
As soon as you see new growth, it means your propagated cuttings have rooted. From that moment you can water as normal. Water succulents only when the soil is very dry. You can read some more about how to water your succulents and care for them here.
Good luck with your succulents!
Iām so lost with my succulents. They get over 14 hours of direct sunlight everyday, but my echeveria continues to get more leggy.. Iām not sure what to do once I propagate a new crown since it seems like I canāt get them enough sunlight. š
Hi Mia, It sounds like it should be getting enough sunlight. Maybe they are too far away from the window? But I would assume you already have them on the windowsill near the window.
I have bought a small grow light for my succulents. Mainly to get them through the dark days of winter, but they are under the light during spring and summer as well. You might consider getting one for your plant.
Good luck š
@Mod and Mint,
I’ve the same problem as Mia..
Super bright windowsill for almost all of the day and yet it still grows up and up! I propagated it and got several new succulents, and they too are doing the same, on another super bright windowsill in another room. So strange!
@Ruth, some new build houses have coated windows, so even if the light seems bright, the plants arent actually getting what they need from it. I had this issue with my new home. I bought grow lights and now all my plants are happy!
@Mia, Is it desperately trying to reach for the sun and keeping around weak leaves? If so then somehow the sunlight is still not enough. Maybe the window filters it too much or something?
Is it very hot? Echeverias are desert plants and can handle about any heat that indoor conditions may create, but if it’s always on the super hot side, they may think it’s a nice desert summer, grow tall to avoid overheating and try to reach the flying pollinators in the summer night.
Are they spoiled silly with food? If echeverias are in a super nutritious pot mix, they might figure out they lucked out and found a fertile piece of land, then overgrow to try to propagate. Or on the other hand, if they’re very close to other plants, they might make an effor to move away from them to avoid overshadowing.
@Mia, an alternative to grow lights is to add mirrors to the bottom and sides of your window frames. I did this last year, till the windows were too cold, and it worked wonderfully. It made the mirrors create an almost 360 surround light effect, instead of unidirectional from the window. Doing the mirrors with grow lights, would be the ultimate support! No more windows required!
@Mod and Mint, an alternative to grow lights is to add mirrors to the bottom and sides of your window frames. I did this last year, till the windows were too cold, and it worked wonderfully. It made the mirrors create an almost 360 surround light effect, instead of unidirectional from the window. Doing the mirrors with grow lights, would be the ultimate support! No more windows required!
Hi LaRose, I thought I had replied already, but I guess I didn’t. The mirrors sound like a great idea. I don’t have the space for it around my windows, but if you have I can only imagine how happy the plants will be with the reflecting light! Thanks for sharing!
The bottom of my echeveria stayed but the top of the stem wilted. What should I do?
Thank you for the great article! I always say I have a brown thumb (as opposed to a green thumb) I shouldn’t be allowed to buy new plants…
Orchids tend to hang on well for me though, and I was hoping the cute succulents would tolerate me as well…
They haven’t stretched out yet, but one has lost a bunch of leaves and I’m worried about the others. How much sun do they need/tolerate? And what about heat? The window they’re close to now faces south west and it gets lots of light, but also gets really really hot in summer, so I’ve been closing the blinds part way to protect the plants from burning. (I did produce a very crispy ivy.)
Should I place them between curtain and window so they’ll get sun and heat? Stand them a bit back but leave blind open?
I really really don’t want to kill them! (but I have bought some plastic plants, so they’re not surrounded by their dead companions)
Great to know this was of help Nicole. Thanks for your comment. First of all, everybody should be allowed to buy more plants. š And no such thing as a brown or green thumb. So no worries.
How are your succulents doing? Did you try protecting them from the sun? I think this is a good idea if you notice the sun to be burning them, but most succulents love a lot of sun.
Your question started with the succulents dropping leaves. I don’t think the sun is the cause of that. When succulents start dropping a lot of leaves, it is usually a sign of overwatering. How often do you water them? That might be it. But without seeing them, it is hard to say.
Hope they pull through!
When you are propagating, how do you water the cuttings? I have a huge problem with that. Mine always turn brown. I have tried sun and indirect sun. I am new to the succulent world. Thanks!
Hi Leslie, it sounds like your cuttings got too much water and started rotting. Be careful watering cuttings as long as they don’t have roots yet. As soon as you see new growth you know there are roots. Or in case of propagating succulent leaves, wait till you see roots popping out, then make sure those roots don’t dry out. Lightly mist them. And don’t pick up the leaves to look at the roots. Just let them be. I hope this helps and good luck, just keep trying.
Thank you for great stuff! Can I share it in my group @gatheringstudio
We do succulent workshops.
Thanks again
I have sent you an email!
I have several succulents that are blooming. What should I do with them after they are finished blooming?
Hi Pamela, you can safely remove the finished blooms by cutting them off with clean pruning shears. Lucky you for having your succulents bloom! They must be very happy in your care.
Hi i like to ask can i plant the Succulents out side in winter I am from kuwait or in summer
I am not an expert on keeping succulents outdoors and honestly, I know nothing about the plant zones in Kuwait. Sorry, I can’t be of more help…
@Mod and Mint, Hi, I think one can keep succulents outdoors too because I have. They seem to be fine and they are even flowering. Although I am a new parent when it comes to succulents. Iām from India and summers are hot here.
One could try with one or two & see how they behave.
š
Hi, thanks so much for the guide! Iāve just beheaded my leggy echeveriaās crown, leaving some stem to replant back in the same pot with its two other succulent friends. I donāt want to propagate more plants so I removed the old stem/roots. When I replant the crown after it has calloused over, does it need to go into completely dry soil, or should I make it a little moist so itās encouraged to root? The soil is bone dry currently and I would normally water lightly in about a weeks time (every 2 weeks).
Hi Charlotte, I would be careful with water before the crown has grown roots. But if you have to, you could spray just a little bit on the soil around it. As soon as you see new growth, your cutting has rooted. From that moment you can water as normal. Good luck!
Hi
I’m getting brown spots on my jade plants. What causes these spots?
How to stop the problem?
Thanks
Hi Zalina, without seeing your plant and knowing its conditions and care, it is hard to say because it could be because of a couple of reasons. Are they burnt spots because the plant has been getting too much direct light? Have you watered it too often without giving the soil a chance to dry out? Those dark spots could very well be because of overwatering. Think about the care you have been giving your plant and hope you can figure it out!
Hello. Most of my succulents are LEGGY. 90% of my plants/succulents are OUTSIDE. My plants get a lot of morning shade and around 3pm, the DIRECT sun will fill my apartment patio until sundown. Your explanation of the leggy succulents DOES NOT pertain in my case. What other reason would there be?
Hi Carrie, Your message went to the Spam folder of the incoming comments. I just noticed it. I am sorry that my explanation does not pertain to your situation, but I do not know what other reason is causing your succulents to get so leggy. Wishing you all the best for your plants.
I am going to use this info to fix my succulents that have stretched
Out of shape!
Thanks,
Shirl
Hi Shirl, Glad to be of help! Good luck with your succulents!
Thanks for the tips, really helpful. I have a few succulents that need this help – so far so good!
Hi Philly Mike, thanks for your kind words, much appreciated. Glad my tips were of some help!
Deborah
Hi I reside in a state that has cloudy dark days and very little sun during the winter. My succulents are under a grow light and get ~4-5 hours of light. They are getting leggy. Is this not enough light source? Also do you recommend daily misting? Thanks.
Hi Sandy. First of all, no misting your succulents. Almost all succulents originate from hot and dry desert places. So they don’t need high humidity to grow. About the light, if they are still getting leggy it is not enough. How far away is the light? Maybe move it a bit closer and or leave it on longer. Build it up slowly to not shock the plants. Good luck!
Hi there! I’m having an issue with my succulents growing way too tall even though I have a grow lamp? Am I able to send you a photo to get some advice? I was wondering if you can cut the root part of the succulent because I’m noticing my plant has a lot of leaves at the top but now has not been growing anymore leaves at the bottom D: Help!
Iām wondering where I can find unusual and VERY unique succulents. I have literally hundreds of them and am always looking for different ones. But every single store I go into, even a store called ācactus and tropicalsā that specializes in them always carry the same ones. Iāve been to a cactus place in California that had a few unique ones but they were extremely expensive. $17 for one that was called a baseball cactus. Iām so disappointed because I want some new ones. Iāve bought some online and they say they are unique but they are always the same ones that I already have. Any suggestions?
Thankyou
@Jane miller,
In the past month I have gone to 2 Cactus and Succulent shows/sales and have seen some fascinating ones that I haven’t seen before. They were pricier than the regular ones. I talked with some of the exhibitors and sellers about the price differences: age, rarity, propagation difficulties. Best, Amy
Thank you!!!!
I have a succulent that is planted outdoors in my boarder planter and gets plenty of sunlight, itās been thriving but in the last fortnight/ 3 weeks itās grown up so tall itās not spouting pink flowers. Itās so strange it looks almost alien. Itās about 25cm high. My friends have all commented on it. Also itās got well established babies that have come on so much they are nearly 2/3rds the size of the actual plant when I planted it. Is this a natural occurrence? do I leave it? Will it just keep growing into some sort of beanstalk š
Well, (years later) I have succulents that are simultaneously burned and leggy that are in a southwest set of windows. They burned from the hot sun in the summer, but somehow didnāt get enough light- how do I solve this?
Hi,
thank you so so much, my succulent is thriving now! The stump has grown a lot of baby plants, how soon can I remove them from the stump and plant them?
Hi, I bought a Echeveria Succulent from Lowes for .50! I have had it for almost a year. I was new to succulents so I wasnt sure how to care for it. I have not killed it yet, however it has a stem(?) of almost 1 foot tall!! Only a couple flowery looking things on top.I put a dowell in it to hold it up but it just keeps out growing it! It had a couple leaves fall off and now those are growing too! I dont want the babies to get too leggy. One already is vey leggy and so tiny! Can I cut it like mentioned in the article above and have more?!?!?
Thanks,
nan
What if the base of the plant is nice and tight but the new growth at the top is starting to stretch? Can you cut off the tip and keep the base of the plant?
@LaRose,
Yes if you follow the instructions at the beginning of the article they tell you to cut off the top, then remove the bottom two leaves and stick it in good cactus soil and wait a few weeks! Try not to disturb the cuttings as it may take a while for the roots to appear.
Good luck!
My succulent is very stretched out but it had always lived in a bright window sill so I can’t just move it to somewhere lighter. Is there anything else that could have caused this please?
What if you want them to get huge, tall & leggy? I want mine to get BIG