Pocket Botanist
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Check these first
- Touch the soil to see if it is wet.
- Inspect the base of the stem for mushy spots.
- Check the bottom leaves to see if they are the oldest ones.
Likely causes
Overwatering
Most likelyHow to tell: The leaves feel soft or mushy to the touch. The soil stays damp for more than a few days.
What to do: Stop watering immediately and let the soil dry out completely. If the soil is heavy or holds water too long, repot the plant into a well draining cactus mix.
Natural Aging
Most likelyHow to tell: Only the lowest, oldest leaves near the base of the rosette turn yellow and eventually shrivel.
What to do: Do nothing as this is a normal part of the growth cycle. You can gently pull the dried leaf off once it is completely brown and crispy.
Find out what's wrong with your aeonium
The list above covers the usual causes. Pocket Botanist looks at a photo of your actual plant and tells you the likely cause, how serious it is, and what to try first. Identification and a health check are free.
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When to worry
Worry if the yellowing spreads rapidly to the center of the rosette. It is normal for the bottom leaves to yellow as the plant grows taller.
Stopping it coming back
Stick to a strict watering schedule of 10 to 21 days and ensure the pot has drainage holes.
Keep your aeonium healthy from here
Save your plant in Pocket Botanist and you get care reminders timed for this plant, plus a care history that shows what worked. Identification and a health check are free.
Questions people ask
- Should I cut off yellow leaves?
- Wait until they are fully dried and crispy before removing them. If they are still soft, the plant is likely still pulling nutrients from them.
- Can too much sun cause yellowing?
- Sometimes, but usually, too much sun causes the leaves to turn red or brown. Yellowing is almost always related to water.
More problems with Aeonium
This article was generated with AI from the plant’s care profile and is general information, not horticultural advice. Read about how we build these guides.