From my perspective, the most common reason my leaves become soft, wrinkled, and folded is a simple lack of water. I am a succulent, which means my thick, fleshy leaves are designed to store water for long periods. When you provide me with too little water over an extended time, I am forced to use these internal reserves. As the moisture within my leaf cells depletes, the cells lose their turgor pressure—the internal water pressure that keeps them firm and plump. Without this pressure, my leaves deflate and collapse in on themselves, resulting in the wrinkled, leathery texture you see. This is my most direct way of communicating that my soil has been dry for far too long and my storage tanks are empty.
Paradoxically, the same symptom can sometimes point to the opposite problem. If my soil is consistently wet and heavy, my roots cannot breathe. They require oxygen from the air pockets in the soil to function healthily. Constant sogginess suffocates them, causing them to die, decay, and turn to mush. This condition is known as root rot. Once my root system is compromised, it can no longer absorb water, no matter how saturated the soil around it is. Consequently, the rest of my body, the leaves, begins to dehydrate because it cannot access the water it needs. The dehydration from root rot looks identical to the dehydration from underwatering: I become wrinkled and soft. You can distinguish the two by checking my soil; if I am wrinkled and the soil is wet, you are likely killing me with kindness.
While water issues are the primary culprits, my environment plays a significant supporting role. If I am exposed to excessive, direct sunlight for many hours a day, the intense heat and light can cause rapid moisture loss from my leaves, accelerating dehydration and wrinkling. Conversely, a sudden drastic change in temperature, such as being placed near a cold drafty window in winter or a heating vent, can send me into shock. This thermal stress disrupts my normal cellular processes, potentially damaging my tissues and manifesting as wilting or wrinkling. I thrive on consistency and bright, indirect light.
Finally, consider the space you have given me to live. If I have been in the same pot for many years, my root system may have become so dense and crowded that it has very little soil left to hold moisture. When you water me, the water may simply run down the insides of the pot and out the drainage hole without ever being absorbed by the root ball. This effectively creates a state of underwatering, even with a consistent watering schedule. The tight mass of roots cannot access the water, leading to—as you now know—dehydration and wrinkled leaves. A constricted root system struggles to support the healthy growth of my foliage above the soil.
