
Succulents are hardy plants and can survive in many different environments than other plants. However, they do have one weakness: the need to receive sunlight. While some succulents can thrive in indirect sunlight, others will not. They will require bright, indirect light to grow.
These arrangements will survive without any or very little light for approximately ten days before they begin to fade and their shape starts to deteriorate.
Read more: What are succulents
Succulents need to be in direct sunlight for at least two hours per day to maintain their shape and color. What if you only wanted to send succulents in boxes or have a beautiful arrangement indoors for guests? Can succulents survive without light for long periods?
For short periods, succulents can live without light. The length of time they can survive will vary depending on the species. However, most succulents can live for between 10-14 days if minimal or no sunlight. Some succulents that tolerate shade may live longer.
Our small nursery sells most of our plants online, and we send them throughout Australia. Before I started the business, I had tested many plants by placing them in boxes and letting them sit in darkness for as long as two weeks.
The plants were able to survive for at least two weeks without showing any signs of stress. However, I noticed a decrease in color after day 10. We aim to get succulents to customers in seven days. Most succulents will not look different from the day they were packed.
Although succulents could survive for up to 14 days, the growth will likely begin to distort. The plant’s leaves would get more extensive and more spread out, and it would start to stretch from its center for light. It would also become more fragile. Many succulents will begin to die after a month without any light. Echeveria and Graptopetalum species indoors with enough sunlight (5+ hours) are also sun-loving succulents.
Plants like these do not belong in dark places and will need over 5 hours of direct sun to look colorful and compact.
Tips For Getting Succulents Last Longer In No Light
You may have to keep succulents darkened in many situations. You could send succulents by post, decorate an office or house for special events, store wedding favors, and keep them safe from bad weather.
It is essential to limit the time that succulents are left in direct sunlight to less than ten days not to get stressed. Succulents will start to deteriorate after ten days.
Also, the plants must be kept dry. It is not a good idea to water succulents in darkness. This includes misting, which, while it is not harmful, can also be detrimental. The lack of sunlight will make it more likely that a potting mix is too wet or too moist to promote fungal diseases and rot.
It is good to place succulents in a dark area, such as wedding favors or a bonbonniere. This will help them not get too close together. This will reduce humidity in the immediate environment. Succulents don’t like places without light.
Storing succulent bonbonniere or favors in no light should be limited to 10 days to maintain the plants’ color and shape.
Read more: Grow light for Succulents
For succulents that require little to no light for more than 14 days, the plant grows lights can be helpful. Cool daylight LEDs with 1000-2500 lumens are the best for this job. Growing lights are essential for succulents in cold weather (most succulents cannot withstand frost), indoors, and when it is raining.
What Succulents Can Survive in Direct Sunlight?
Some succulents can tolerate shade, but most need to be in a sunny area near a window.
In indoor lighting, succulents made from Aloe or Gasteria genera, Ceropegia, Gasateraloe, or Gasteria are more likely to survive than those grown from Aloe. Other species are also possible, including Senecio Rowleyanus and Lithops. However, they will require a bright spot and plenty of airflows to thrive and look beautiful.
Haworthias grow well in bright shade.
These Succulents Can Survive in Very Little Light
Only one succulent genus is recommended to survive in low-light areas. It is Sansevieria.
Many people will be familiar with the Mother in law Tongue (Sansevieria Trifasciata), who lives in darkened rooms. You must note that the darker the space, the slower the plant will grow. If there is not enough light, likely, the plant will not grow as much as possible. It is improbable that a small plant will grow big in a dimly lit area.
Sansevieria Trifasciata
How to Reintroduce a Succulent Back Outdoors After It Has Been Without Lighting
Succulents need to be allowed to adjust to the sun, no matter how long it has been. They will be more sensitive to sunlight if they are exposed for too long.
If succulents have lost color or become distorted due to confinement, it will take baby steps to get them back out in the sun. For about three days, the plants should be exposed to the sun for a few hours in the morning and then placed in bright shade for the remainder of the day. You can gradually increase the amount of sunlight that plants receive until they can handle the five hours or more they require.
Learn various Types of succulents plants care
It is much more challenging to bring succulents into the sun in summer because the sun can be too intense. Extreme cases, when temperatures reach 40C (104F), can cause the plant to die. Healthy succulents do not like being in direct sunlight when it is this hot. They should be kept outside in the bright shade until the heatwave passes.
It is easier to put succulents back into the sun in cooler months because the UV radiation is less intense.
Succulents thrive in bright sunlight. A succulent will die if there is no sunlight for more than a few hours.