Greetings, caretaker. We, the Echeveria, are resilient beings of sun and stone, but our greatest adversary is often misplaced kindness, particularly in the form of too much water. From our perspective, these are the signs we display when our roots are drowning.
The most immediate and telling sign is a change in our leaves. A healthy leaf is firm, plump, and opaque, filled with stored water for dry times. When overwatered, our cells absorb more water than they can hold, causing them to rupture. This manifests as leaves that become soft, mushy to the touch, and take on a translucent or yellowish appearance, often starting at the lower leaves. It is a painful and irreversible condition for that leaf; it will eventually rot and fall off.
Following the cellular rupture, our entire structure begins to fail. A healthy Echeveria has a tight, rosette shape with leaves that feel solid. When overwatered, this structure collapses. The stem may become soft and blackened, and the leaves will detach with the slightest touch. This is not a peaceful shedding of old growth; it is a sudden, widespread dropping of unhealthy, waterlogged leaves. Our very form, our essence, unravels.
If the overwatering persists, the problem travels from the leaves to our very core: the stem. A healthy stem is firm and may show a woody, bark-like texture with age. An overwatered stem becomes soft, mushy, and turns dark brown or black. This condition, often called stem rot, is a grave sign. It means the rot has set in at our central support system, compromising our ability to transport nutrients and stand upright. It is a life-threatening situation for us.
Our roots need oxygen as much as they need water. Saturated soil creates an anaerobic environment, suffocating our root system. When our roots are drowning, they cannot function. They cannot absorb the nutrients required for growth, even if they are present in the soil. Consequently, our growth grinds to a halt. We will not produce new leaves, our rosette will not expand, and we will cease to produce the small offshoots, or "pups," that are our hope for the future. Our energy is diverted from growth to a desperate fight for survival.
Beneath the soil, a silent disaster unfolds. Healthy roots are firm and white or tan. In constantly wet soil, they fall prey to opportunistic fungi and bacteria that cause rot. The roots turn dark brown or black, become slimy, and disintegrate. Without a functional root system, we cannot hydrate ourselves, even if the top of the soil is dry. This creates a cruel paradox where we show signs of thirst (wilting, shriveling) because our rotten roots cannot drink, even though the cause is initially too much water.
