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Bear’s Paw is a tiny cute succulent that resembles the paw of a Bear, that’s where plant got this name. Their original name is Cotyledon Tomentosa. These succulents are low maintenance and look very appealing to naked eyes.
When I was a beginner I had a Bear’s Paw and just like any other succulent I used to care for it. But after a few days, my Bears Paw started to turn yellow. Even after taking care of it properly, it was turning yellow, I had no idea why was this happening. So I did some research about it and consulted a few gardening experts and got to know a few reasons for it.
Now let’s quickly answer: Why is Bear’s Paw succulent turning yellow?
Bears Paw turns yellow mainly when they are either overwatered or underwatered. There can be other reasons too, such as lack of light, fungal infection, and poor soil. You must immediately take action to prevent them from dying.
These are the most common reasons for it. There are other reasons that can cause the Bears paw to turn yellow. Let’s discuss those in detail and learn to fix the plant.
8 Reasons for Bears Paw turning Yellow
Bears paw is the easiest plant to grow. These succulents need to be cared for correctly to grow them healthy and beautiful. There can be a few things that you might be lacking, that are causing harm to the plant. Here are a few reasons for Bear’s paw is turning yellow.
1. Overwatering
Bears paw do not like to be watered a lot. They do great with less water. When you water them even when the soil is wet that causes plants leave to turn yellow.
Just like every other succulent, Bears paw does not like to sit in water for long. When the soil is wet all the time that damages the roots and causes rot.
How to Fix?
To avoid overwatering you must water them when Bear paw needs it. I use the soak and dry method to water my succulents, water them only when the soil is completely dry.
As soon as you notice the yellow leaves and damp soil that is the sign of overwatering. You must immediately change your watering schedule.
2. Underwatering
Underwatering usually causes the leaves to turn yellow of the Bears paw. When you notice the dry yellow paws (leaves) of the plant, that is an indication that the plant is being underwatered.
If you are one of those, who water the plants once a month or have a very low watering frequency. Then you might face this issue. Plant leaves might shrivel and appear pale.
How to Fix?
To fix underwatering you must water the succulent as soon as the soil dries. This will help you understand the needs of the plant and will avoid any kind of stress in Bears paw.
3. Lack of light
Bears paw succulent loves bright light, they grow healthy and beautiful when they get good light throughout the day. When you notice the plant’s sudden growth, it is stretching out in a particular direction and appears yellow and thin.
That is the sign that it isn’t getting enough light. Usually, succulents are very slow-growing plants and this abrupt growth is unhealthy for them.
How to Fix?
Keep the Bears paw in a place where they can get light throughout the day. Usually, I prefer keeping them near the windows, which helps the plants to get a good amount of light throughout the day as well as fresh air.
Make sure that the Bears paw are getting partial sun, direct sun can cause sun stress in the plant.
4. Bug Infestation
Bug attack is the worst nightmare for succulents. The most common bugs that can infest the Bears paw are the mealybugs. These bugs are contagious and spread quickly among all other plants.
When the Bears paw get attacked by them, they tend to turn yellow due to lack of nutrients. These bugs feed on the plant and slowly eat up the whole plant.
How to Fix?
Early detection is the key in this case, as soon as you notice these tiny white creatures, quarantine the plant.
Apply insecticides on the plant until the bugs disappear. You can also use the homemade remedy, to know more make sure to visit:
Having good soil for the Bears paw is like having a good home for the plant. When you use poor soil to plant them, such soil stays damp and wet and that causes the rotting. Also, poor soil does not have essential nutrients that are needed for the plant to grow healthy. This causes the Bears paw to turn yellow and have soggy leaves.
How to Fix?
You must use the fast-draining soil for the plant. Fast draining dries way faster by flushing away all the excess water from it. Also, it has all the essential nutrients for the plant to grow healthy.
6. Planting in a Wrong Pot
When the Bears paw are planted in a pot that has no drainage, it will not flush away the excess water from the water. This water stays at the bottom of the pot and dampens the soil and starts rotting.
How to Fix?
Having fast-draining soil is not enough, with that, you should have a pot with a drainage hole underneath. Having such a combination avoids overwatering and helps soil to dry way faster.
Consider the correct sized pot with a drainage hole. This will ensure healthy growth.
7. Fungal Infection
Bears paw turns yellow when they have any type of fungal infection. This can usually happen when they are stressed. The main cause for fungal infection is overwatering and poor soil. Bears paw are very prone to root rot and fungal infections.
How to Fix?
Spray the fungicides on the infected area. Make sure that you are using organic fungicide. Chemical ones usually harm the plant.
As mentioned earlier you must avoid overwatering them and use good quality fast-draining soil.
To know more about spraying organic fungicide make sure to visit:
Lastly, it can be a natural process. Sometimes we often think a lot and worry about the succulents turning yellow. This can also happen naturally as the leaves die off to promote the growth of the new leaves. Often this happens when the season changes, succulents shed off their old leaves by turning yellow and dry.
Should you pull off yellow succulent leaves?
If the leaves are yellow and soggy, you just pull them off the plant. These leaves will not allow the plant to breathe and will not allow the soil to dry below that part.
When you are pulling off the leaves you must do it correctly, otherwise, you may end up damaging the plant. I prefer to cut them instead of pulling the leaves.
But make sure to use clean cutting tool for this to avoid further damage to the plant. When the succulent has yellow leaves, the first thing you should get to know is the reason for it and then act accordingly.
Final Thoughts
Bears paw succulents turn yellow due to all the above-mentioned reasons, as soon as you know the reasons, take action immediately to save the plant from dying.
Make sure that the leaves get back the original color to know it’s healing. Bears paw are little cute plants and are easy to grow, make sure you take care of them appropriately.
I hope you found this article helpful. Do share this information with someone who needs it.
