Burro's tail leaves falling off: causes and what to do
9 results in the diagnosis tree begin with leaf drop, 3 of them marked likely when the answers fit. They are ordered here for Burro's tail (Sedum morganianum), using what its sources say about cold tolerance, light, soil moisture and watering and 2 problems recorded for it.
Sources last read 14 September 2026.
Sedum morganianum, the donkey tail or burro's tail, is a species of flowering plant in the family Crassulaceae, native to southern Mexico. It is a succulent perennial producing trailing stems up to 60 cm (24 in) long, with fleshy blue-green leaves and terminal pink to red flowers in summer. Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Native range: Mexico (Veracruz, Puebla, Chiapas) (seasonally dry tropical). Also sold as donkey tail, donkey's tail, horse's tail, lamb's tail and Stonecrop.
What Burro's tail’s sources say that bears on this
- Cold tolerance
- H1C — 5–10°CRHS · read 13 September 2026
- Light
- High lightClemson Extension · read 13 September 2026Full sunRHS · read 13 September 2026
- Soil moisture
- Well-drainedRHS · read 13 September 2026
- Watering
- Use lukewarm water, and water less in winter. Let the soil dry between waterings, and feed lightly once or twice in the growing season.NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026In the growing season, water generously and feed monthly with a liquid fertiliser at half strength; give little water in winter.RHS · read 13 September 2026
How this shows up on a Burro's tail
Swollen, darkening leaves that come away at a touch
Soft, discoloured tissue appears where the leaves join the stem of the Burro's tail, and the compost smells stale rather than earthy.
A plant that stores its own water has little use for more. Kept in well-drained soil that stays wet, the stored tissue takes up water it cannot release and the cell walls give way.
Telling it apart: Firm and wrinkled is thirst; soft and swollen is the opposite. The two look similar from across a room and feel nothing alike.
RHS · read 13 September 2026Whitened areas where the sun falls longest
Upper surfaces lose colour while the undersides stay green, and nothing below the top of the plant is touched.
Sun through a window on a still day heats a leaf far above the air around it. Its source describes full sun; the glass adds the heat that does the damage.
Telling it apart: Whether the undersides are affected. Light damages what it reaches and nothing else.
RHS · read 13 September 2026Possible causes, likeliest first for a Burro's tail
Most likely too much water
Ranked higher because Burro's tail's recorded problems point this way.
Burro's tail stores water in its own tissue, which makes it more sensitive to wet soil than most leafy plants, so this reading is stronger for it.
- Well-drained RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Loam, Sand, Chalk; pH Alkaline or Neutral RHS · read 13 September 2026
Why: Soil that is wet two inches down, under leaves that are yellowing from the bottom or falling, points at roots that cannot breathe.
What to try:
- Hold off watering until the top two inches of soil are dry, and check again with a finger rather than by the calendar.Useful: moisture meter
- Empty any water standing in the saucer or the outer pot within half an hour of watering.Useful: pot with drainage holes
What would settle it: Lift the burro's tail out of its pot. Healthy roots are firm and pale; roots that have been wet too long are brown, soft and smell sour.
Probably too much water, but this is not settled
Ranked higher because Burro's tail's recorded problems point this way.
Burro's tail stores water in its own tissue, which makes it more sensitive to wet soil than most leafy plants, so this reading is stronger for it.
- Well-drained RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Loam, Sand, Chalk; pH Alkaline or Neutral RHS · read 13 September 2026
Why: Wet soil and yellowing lower leaves usually mean the roots have been wet too long.
What to try:
- Let the soil dry to two inches down before the next watering.Useful: moisture meter
- Tip the burro's tail out and look at the roots before deciding whether to repot.Useful: well-draining potting mix
What would settle it: Two observations separate them. How long the soil stays wet after a full watering: more than about a week in a room at normal temperature suggests the pot rather than the schedule. And the roots themselves: firm and pale, or brown and soft.
Most likely a reaction to the change
Why: Many plants drop healthy leaves when their light, temperature or draughts change suddenly.
What to try:
- Leave it where it is now rather than moving it again, unless the new spot is plainly too dark or too cold.Useful: min-max thermometer
- Keep it away from radiators, air vents and doors that open to the outside.Useful: min-max thermometer
What would settle it: Whether the dropping slows within a few weeks of the burro's tail staying put. A burro's tail adjusting settles; one with a separate problem keeps losing leaves.
Less likely for a Burro's tail, still possible
Questions
- What usually causes leaf drop on a Burro's tail?
- For Burro's tail: most likely too much water, probably too much water, but this is not settled and most likely a reaction to the change. Burro's tail stores water in its own tissue, which makes it more sensitive to wet soil than most leafy plants, so this reading is stronger for it.
- How can I tell which one it is on my Burro's tail?
- Which leaves are falling, and what do they look like? Green leaves, several at once; Yellow leaves, the oldest first; Dry, brown leaves; A tree or shrub that loses its leaves each autumn, and it is autumn.
- What do Burro's tail's sources say about its cold tolerance?
- RHS: H1C — 5–10°C.
- What does this look like on a Burro's tail?
- Soft, discoloured tissue appears where the leaves join the stem of the Burro's tail, and the compost smells stale rather than earthy. Telling it apart: Firm and wrinkled is thirst; soft and swollen is the opposite. The two look similar from across a room and feel nothing alike.
Other plants that show leaf drop
Jade plantSwollen, darkening leaves that come away at a touch
Mexican snowballSwollen, darkening leaves that come away at a touch
Aloe veraWashed-out patches that do not spread to the shaded side
Baby's tearsWhitened areas where the sun falls longest
Bunny ears cactusWhitened areas where the sun falls longest
Crown of thornsSwollen, darkening leaves that come away at a touch
Something else wrong with the Burro's tail?
What this does not cover
This page orders a decision tree's results using a plant's sourced care. It has not seen your plant, its pot or its window, and two problems at once are common: that is the usual reason a confident answer turns out wrong. The questions in the diagnosis tool narrow it further than a list can.