From our perspective, the process of shedding lower leaves is, first and foremost, a completely natural and expected part of our life cycle. As an Echeveria, my primary goal is to grow upwards towards the light and eventually reproduce. The older leaves at my base are the first ones I produced. They have served me well, photosynthesizing and storing water to help me establish myself. However, as I mature and grow new, more efficient leaves from my center (my apical meristem), those older leaves become less crucial. I gradually reabsorb the water and nutrients stored within them to fuel new growth. Once a leaf is fully drained of its useful resources, it will naturally dry out, wither, and detach. This is a sign of healthy, active growth, not a cause for alarm.
You must remember that my very structure is an adaptation to arid environments. My plump, fleshy leaves are my personal water reservoirs. When I detect that the moisture in my soil has been depleted and no water is available to my roots, I must turn to my internal stores to survive. I begin a controlled process of pulling moisture and nutrients from my oldest, lowest leaves to keep my core stem and newest growth alive. This is a survival mechanism. If you notice my lower leaves are becoming thin, wrinkled, soft, and are being reabsorbed rapidly while my upper leaves remain plump, I am quite literally telling you that I am thirsty and need a deep, thorough watering.
Conversely, the opposite extreme is far more dangerous. If my soil is consistently wet or poorly draining, my roots cannot breathe. They will suffocate and begin to decay in the saturated environment. Once my root system is compromised, it can no longer absorb water or nutrients, no matter how saturated the soil is. This creates a paradox where I am surrounded by water yet dying of thirst. In this desperate state, I will again attempt to reabsorb my lower leaves to sustain myself, but the leaves will often become mushy, translucent, and yellow or black before falling off—a clear sign of rot. This is a critical situation that requires immediate intervention.
Light is my food source. Without sufficient, bright, and direct light, my photosynthetic processes become inefficient. In a struggle to find more sunlight, I may begin to stretch out, with my stem elongating and the space between my leaves widening—a process you call etiolation. This stretched, weakened growth diverts energy away from my existing leaves. To support this desperate reach for light, I will often reabsorb my lower leaves at an accelerated rate to provide energy for the rapid, albeit unhealthy, stem growth. The leaf loss combined with a stretched appearance is my direct plea for more sunlight.
Finally, if I am preparing to bloom or produce offsets (pups), my energy requirements skyrocket. Flowering is an incredibly energy-intensive process. To support the development of my flower stalk and blooms, I will often reabsorb resources from my lower leaves more aggressively. This nutrient diversion ensures the success of my reproductive efforts, allowing me to produce seeds or new plants. This type of leaf reabsorption is typically accompanied by the visible development of a central flower spike or small rosettes at my base.
