Hens and chicks turning red is usually caused by the succulent becoming stressed in some way.
This is often caused by growing conditions or environmental factors that your plant is not used to or prepared for.
Here are the main causes for your hens and chicks or houseleeks turning red and what you can do.
Intense Heat
Hens and chicks thrive in temperature ranging from the 60’s to the mid 70’s.
When the temperature rises above that range, this can stress your succulent out and cause your houseleek to release anthocyanins which is a pigment in the leaves that can turn your plant red.
This usually only occurs when your plant has become stressed and intense heat can definitely do that.
Whenever your Hens and chicks are left out in not ideal temperatures, or during a heat wave, you can expect to see some sun scorch signs such as brown or crispy leaves or you may notice red leaves or tips.
In any case, you need to be mindful of where you’re planting and how the weather is looking each day.
Solution
While Hens and chicks turning red from intense heat doesn’t mean the end of your plant from just being red, it’s best to prevent actual damage that can occur.
If you find the temperature to be out of range outside, you should move your houseleek indoors for the time being and grow near a window or under a grow light.
Once the temperature returns to a more comfortable level, you can resume outdoor growing if that’s what you were doing before.
Otherwise you risk sun damage that can scorch the leaves which will eventually fall off from the damage.
Transplant shock
Transplant shock can be another culprit for hens and chicks turning red as this is a major stressor for plants.
Once again when succulents get stressed, they have a tendency to activate anthocyanins in the leaves, resulting in red leaves or tips.
Unfortunately, transplant shock is a common occurrence and hard to avoid so the odds of it happening are pretty high.
If your Hens and chicks have only turned red after repotting or transplanting, this is likely the cause.
Some other signs or symptoms of transplant shock can include the following.
- Your hens and chicks are drooping
- Slowed or stunted growth
- Leaves are falling off
Solution
When it comes to transplant shock in Hens and chicks, most of the time you don’t have to do anything except wait it out and your succulent will recover on it’s own.
This can take anywhere from a few weeks to a few months though so you have to have some patience.
There is some anecdotal evidence that adding Epsom salt to the soil will help the plant recover faster though.
Overall just let your houseleek do it’s thing, but continue to monitor the plant for changes in the meantime as red leaves or tips aren’t all that serious, especially after transplanting.
Spider Mites
Hens and chicks can get infested with a variety of pests, but spider mites specifically can leave behind red marks after feeding on the leaves.
Unfortunately, spider mites are very tiny (1/50 inch) so they can be quite difficult to spot if you are just looking for the bugs themselves.
Usually when it comes to these pests, you have to rely on looking for the symptoms to know if you have a pest problem.
Some other signs or symptoms of spider mites can include the following.
- Spider webbing material on the leaves
- Drooping leaves
- Curling leaves
- Holes in the leaves
- Leaves are sticky (left behind honeydew)
- Bronze or yellow marks
- Leaves turn white or pale
- Yellowing of the leaves
- Brown leaves or tips
Overall it can be a real possibility that your Hens and chicks are turning red from a spider mite infestation and you will need to remove these pests to prevent further damage.
Solution
When dealing with spider mites, you may be able to tap the leaves and have a sheet of paper underneath to see if any fall onto it to be sure.
Either way, if you suspect you have spider mites, or really any annoying pests you can try using a few different things to remove them quickly.
- Water with some pressure to spray them off
- A cotton swab dipped in rubbing alcohol to wipe down the leaves
- You can spray insecticidal soap on the plant to eliminate them
- You can use neem oil spray to remove them and help keep them from returning
Cold Temperature
While Hens and chicks are winter hardy succulents and can survive growing in zones 3-8, their leaves can still turn red when faced with the stress of cold weather.
This also can happen when the temperature drops suddenly like during a cold front as it can create at least a small amount of stress.
Similar to how people can get temperature shocked like if you were to travel by plane from one continent that is warm to a suddenly cold continent in a matter of hours.
It would shock you.
The same goes for hens and chicks succulents.
Solution
When it comes to the leaves turning red on your hens and chicks from cold temperature, nothing really needs to be done as long as it isn’t actually getting any frost damage such as turning black, brown or crispy.
Otherwise you can just enjoy the different coloration.
If you find that there is some damage starting to occur, simply bring your succulent indoors where it can thrive in a good temperature range.
Lack of watering
Lastly, one of the main causes for red leaves on hens and chicks can be attributed to a lack of water.
By subjecting your succulents to drought conditions, you can expect them to change colors from the light stress.
While this isn’t harmful to the plants, you still have to be careful not to underwater for too long or it will become a problem.
So if you haven’t been watering your hens and chicks as much as usual, this is most likely the cause for the red leaves or tips.
Solution
If you don’t want your hens and chicks to turn red from a lack of water, you need to water more frequently to prevent drought like conditions.
Simply water fully as soon as you notice the soil has dried up.
You can check to see it’s dry by touching the soil.
If the top inch or two are completely dry then you’re good to water, if not you can hold out a little while longer.
Keep in mind watering frequencies can change depending on the temperature or seasons so it’s best to check the soil before giving your succulent a drink.
Will the red leaves return to normal?
Your hens and chicks will in fact return to normal after some time has passed and the stress goes away as long as you reduce the stressor and keep providing great care!
Closing thoughts
By now you will have come to realize that red leaves on Hens and chicks are not necessarily a bad thing, but they can mean something is stressing the succulent.
As long as this stress doesn’t cause any serious issues that affect the plant, you can just enjoy the red leaves on your hens and chicks!