Haworthia is one of the easiest plants to grow. They are native to Africa and can thrive in extreme climatic conditions. Many people suffer from the problem of Haworthia turning purple or losing their color. Let’s quickly get to know: Why do Haworthia turn purple?
Haworthia turns purple when they are sun-stressed, planted in poor soil, or have watering problems. The other reasons could be lack of nutrition and sudden change in their surrounding temperature. In short, Haworthia loses their color when they are stressed in any way.
A few years ago I had a Haworthia and it started to lose its color. I had no idea about it and after a month it completely lost its natural color. Then I did little tweaks in its caring routine and my plant was back to normal after a few days.
In this article, I will share my experience about it and explain to you the reasons why they turn purple.
Reasons why Haworthia turn purple
Haworthia turns purple when they are not taken care of correctly. Here are a few of the reasons for turning purple.
1. Sun Stress
When you keep Haworthia in direct sun for a long period that causes sun stress in the plant.
Sun stress damages the plant tissues and to protect itself, the plant changes its color by releasing the chemical called anthocyanin and starts to appear purple.
They do great when they are grown in low light conditions or when they get indirect sun.
How to Fix:
- Consider placing the plant near the window so that they can get indirect light throughout the day.
- Avoid giving them any light if the burn is extreme till they get back to normal.
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2. Poor Soil
When Haworthia are planted in poor soil they turn purple. This type of soil stays damp all the time which is very unhealthy for the roots.
Poor soil does not have any nutrients in it which makes it even worse.
They need to be potted in fast-draining soil which also has a lot of nutrients. If you have planted Haworthia in poor soil then you must consider changing the soil.
How to Fix:
- Consider having good quality fast-draining soil, it flushes away all the excess water from the soil and dries way faster.
- You can also make the potting mix at home by adding a ⅓ portion of each soil, perlite, and coco peat and mix them.
3. Watering problems
Haworthia needs to be watered correctly when you have an inappropriate watering schedule that causes the plant to lose its color and appear purple, red, or whitish.
You must understand their watering needs, they can go without water for many days. But you should be careful about underwatering them.
Underwatered plants appear pale and have dry leaves. Whereas overwatered plant has soggy pale leaves.
I prefer the soak and dry method for watering the plant, it helps me understand their watering needs and avoids any watering problems.
How to Fix:
- Consider using the soak and dry method for watering the plant.
- Water them only when the soil is completely dry.
- Avoid watering them on the leaves, water directly into the soil.
- The other way to water them is by watering the plant once a week.
4. Lack of nutrition
When the Haworthia does not get all the essential nutrients they lose their color and appear pale and purple. This mainly happens when you do not fertilize the plant.
Fertilization is important for a plant’s healthy growth as it provides all the essential nutrients to the plant which they do not get from the soil. Therefore, make sure to fertilize them frequently.
How to Fix:
- Consider fertilizing the Haworthia once a month.
- Make sure to use organic fertilizers as the chemical one damages the plants.
- Avoid fertilizing them during winters as the plants go dormant during this season.
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5. Rotting or Fungal infection
Although Haworthia is easy to grow, you must avoid any rotting and fungal infection on the plant.
When the plant is overwatered it causes root rot and fungal infections. So the plant starts to turn purple or white, these are the early signs.
When you water them on the leaves, it increases the plant’s humidity and invites a fungal infection.
Also, if they are planted in poor soil, it stays damp all the time and causes root rot.
How to Fix:
- To prevent this avoid overwatering them and keep them in fast-draining soil.
- Apply fungicides on the infected area of the plant.
- To treat root rot, cut the blue, black roots with the cutting tool. Also, make sure that it is completely clean and sanitized.
6. Sudden change in temperature
When the plant is being exposed to the sudden temperature change, that causes them to turn purple, pale in appearance.
You must avoid sudden temperature changes while growing them. They cannot tolerate such climatic changes it disturbs their natural life cycle and they might die.
How to Fix:
- Avoid placing the plant right in front of the air conditioner during the summers, which can damage the plant.
- Also, avoid placing them in front of heaters and radiators during the winter.
- Keep them indoors during the winter frost.
7. Naturally
The last reason why Haworthia might be turning purple is naturally. It is their season to shed the leaves to promote their new growth so they are turning pale and purple.
Another reason could be that they have this reddish, purple shade on their leaves as it is their natural appearance. Some succulents have this color on the tips of the leaves and that is very normal.
How to take care of Haworthia?
Haworthia is a tiny little succulent that is super easy to grow and care for. There are a few things that you should do frequently to keep them healthy.
Water
Haworthia, just like any other succulents do great with less water. They can go many days without water. Therefore, you must water them only when they need it to avoid any watering issues.
Water them by using the soak and dry method, this means water them only when the soil is completely dry.
To check this place the fingertip into the soil. The other way is to water them once a week, this is also a great way to water the plant.
Light
Haworthia does not like direct sunlight, they are considered low-light plants. So always keep them in indirect sunlight they grow beautifully in it.
You can keep them near the window to give them bright light throughout the day. Also, keeping them in the window will help them to get the fresh air.
If you live in a region where it is impossible to get sunlight, you can also use artificial grow lights.
Soil and Pots
You must plant the Haworthia in fast-draining soil. As mentioned earlier, this type of soil dries way faster by flushing away the excess water and retains just moisture in it.
With this type of soil, you should also have pots that have a drainage hole underneath. This type of pot will flush away the water from the bottom of the pot and will keep the good drainage overall.
Fertilizing
It is essential to fertilize the plants once a month to give them the dose of the extra nutrients. This will enhance the proper growth and will keep them healthy.
Always use organic fertilizers and avoid fertilizing the plants during winters. Fertilize them just before the winters it is their growing season.
Final Thoughts
Haworthia mainly turns purple when they are stressed in any way. You must take care of them correctly and avoid stressing them to help them grow healthy and beautiful.
By doing these things you can prevent them from turning purple, reddish, or pale in appearance.
I hope you found this article helpful. Do share this information with others.
Happy Planting!!
