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How Air Quality Affects Succulents

How Air Quality Affects Succulents
How Air Quality Affects Succulents

Succulents aren’t as big a fan of A/C as you are…

We’ve talked about what to do with your outdoor succulents in sweltering heat and freezing snow. But, we tend not to think about air quality when the plants come inside. As the weather heats up, a lot of us like to come home and blast the cold AC. While you’re kicking your feet up and cooling off, your succulents may not be feeling the same relaxation…

Succulents and Cold Air Don’t Mix

We’ve said it a thousand times, but we’ll say it again: these little guys are desert plants. They are naturally grown in mostly dry, hot climates. While having succulents in an air conditioned house is okay, having A/C blowing icy winds directly onto them is not cool. (no pun intended)

A constant flow of cold air can be dehydrating, and strip succulents of highly-needed moisture and nutrients. If you want to get scientific about it- a constant flow of direct, cold air causes the plant cells to ‘freeze’, meaning the nutrients and water are no longer able to move freely within the plant. That can lead to wilting and yellowing leaves, and that’s not good.

Necessary Moisture

Less humidity feels great for us when it’s almost 100 degrees outside. And while some succs and other house plants do perfectly fine in very dry environments, many succulent bbs (like the ones we send) are sensitive to a complete lack of moisture, or humidity, in the air. Yes, too much moisture can lead to soil that doesn’t dry, over-watering, and root rot, but your succulent bbs do still need a little humidity to keep those cells moving. 

Don’t Overcompensate

If you’re reading this while also looking over at your succulent that’s sitting right in front of the A/C you might be tempted to immediately move it outside into the sun to warm it up. Don’t do it. Extreme change in temperature will likely do more harm than good. Instead, get it away from the A/C stream and ease your plants into a warmer, sunny spots, increasing the duration each time until they are happy and healthy again!

Ideal Conditions (TL;DR)

Okay, you’ve read the long version. Now for all our TL;DR-ers here’s the gist:

  • Don’t put your succulents directly in front of an A/C unit.
  • Do keep them in a spot where they’ll receive bright sun.
  • Try to keep the temperature between 65-80 degrees.


It’s entirely possible to have an air-conditioned indoor space that’s comfortable for you and your plant babies. Just get them the heck away from drastic conditions (like putting them 1 foot away from your a/c unit) and remember to keep an eye on them as the weather and indoor conditions change!


Ready to put these tips to the test? Hit the button below to get $5 off your first box of adorable, organically-grown succulents!

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