This site contains affiliate links. Please read Disclaimer for more information.
Sharing is caring!
Bears paw is one of the rare succulents. The bear’s paw is very compact and tiny in size, which resembles the paws of a bear. They are also called the Cotyledon Tomentosa. They are super easy to grow and do not need much care.
Although they need a lot of sunlight to grow healthy, they still can get sunburned. Let’s quickly get to know: How to treat the sunburned Bears Paw?
To treat the Bears paw from sunburn keep them in a shade. Avoid giving them direct sunlight for 3-4 days and moisten the soil if it is dry. Then slowly expose the plant to the sun after they have recovered. Although it is quite difficult to recover from extreme sunburns.
A few years ago, I had a Bears paw and I kept it at a place with a lot of sunlight. But I had no idea that they can get sunburned due to extreme sun exposure.
Even after a lot of effort, I could not save my plant. But I learned a lot of stuff from this incident. Here I am to share all of my experience to help you save your plant.
What happens when the plant is sunburned?
When the Bears paw gets sunburned then the plant starts to appear pale and whitish. This is the early sign of a sunburned plant.
When they have burns, that damages the plant tissues permanently. It is not possible for tissues to recover from it.
To protect themselves from sunburn, the plant releases the chemical called anthocyanin and reduces photosynthesis. Thus, they appear white and pale.
When there are extreme sunburns there are high chances that you won’t be able to save them.
Can a plant recover from sunburn?
Bear’s paw are light-loving succulents they grow beautifully when kept in the light. There are high chances that they can recover from mild to moderate sunburns.
Although it is very difficult to recover for any plant from extreme sunburns. To know the type of sunburn your plant has check the leaves or overall health of the plant.
If they have a few white spots and have just started to dry up. It means that they have mild to moderate sunburns.
But if the leaves have white and brown spots and are dry. It means that they have extreme burns. Brown spots are a sign of extreme sunburn.
How do you treat sunburned Bears Paw?
Sun has many harmful rays that can damage the plant. UV rays are the most dangerous for the plant when exposed to the direct sun.
To treat sunburns you must catch the early signs, which means the plant should not have brown spots. It becomes hard to treat such severe burns.
Now that you have noticed the sunburns in an early (white) stage. Here are the steps to follow.
The first step is to keep the Bears paw in a shaded area for 3 to 8 days. It helps the succulent to heal naturally.
Then check the soil, if the soil is dry, moist it. That will help the plant to stay cool and hydrated during the healing process.
Avoid giving them direct sunlight till the 8th day.
Once you have kept them in a shaded area for at least 3 days. You will notice the healing, then if slowly plant is getting rid of their white spots. This means they are recovering.
Then after the recovery slowly expose the Bears paw to direct sun. Make sure not to keep them in direct sun for long.
How much sun do Bear paw succulents need?
Bears paw needs at least 2-3 hours of direct sun daily. They are sun-loving plants and do great when they are exposed to the sun. Many people grow Bears paw indoors but you will be amazed by the fact that they grow better under the sun.
If you are growing them indoors, make sure to keep them in direct sun for at least 2 hours and then consider moving them indoors by keeping them in bright light.
They get sunburns when they are exposed for a long duration to direct sun or if there is extreme heat.
When it comes to the light requirement of the Bears paw, they need at least 6 hours of bright light daily to grow healthy.
While growing them indoors I prefer keeping them near the windows. This allows me to give them bright light throughout the day and keeps the plant ventilated by having good airflow.
But while doing this make sure that the whole plant gets light. Otherwise, succulents may start to stretch if only some portion of the plant gets light when kept in the window.
If you are planning to grow them outdoors, make sure to plant them under a shed by keeping them in a position where they get direct sun for a few hours.
This will avoid sunburns and will keep the plant healthy. The other way is to keep them under the cloth shed, this will give the plant indirect sunlight throughout the day.
If you live in a region where it is impossible to give sunlight to the plant, then consider keeping them under the artificial lights.
If you have a budget then you can consider buying grow lights or the normal LED lights will also do the job.
Here are a few of my recommendations :
Tips To Avoid Sunburns:
If you have just bought the new Bears Paw, avoid exposing it to the direct sunlight for at least a week. Give the plant indirect light for a week.
If your plant has just recovered from the sunburns then avoid exposing it to direct sun for a week at least. Then give them sun for an hour for a few days, then gradually increase the time.
Avoid keeping the Bears paw under direct sunlight for a longer duration.
Do not keep them in extreme heat that can burn the plant.
Caring for the Bears Paw
Bears paw is one of the rare species of succulents. They are super easy to grow and do not need much care and attention. There are a few things you should frequently take care of to grow them healthy.
Water
Just like any succulents, they do great with less water. You must water them correctly to avoid any watering issues. You should water them by using the soak and dry method.
This is the perfect way to understand the watering needs of the plant and avoid any watering problems. You can also water them once a week if you do not like to use the soak and dry method.
Light
As mentioned earlier in this article, you must give them light at least for 6 hours daily. They will bloom beautifully and will stay healthy.
They like to be in bright light throughout the day. Therefore, understand their light requirements and care for them accordingly.
Soil
You must keep them in fast-draining soil to avoid any drainage problems. Fast draining soil flushes away all the excess water from the soil and retains just moisture. This type of soil suits the succulents and they stay healthy.
Final Thoughts
Bears paw succulents sunburn can be treated if it is mild to moderate. However, it is quite difficult to treat extreme sunburns, the plant may end up dead when it has such sunburn.
I hope you found this article helpful. Do share it, if you find this information useful.
