The New Leaves on the Plant are Pale, Is This Normal?

New growth in plants like typically starts off light and darkens with age. Occasionally, light-colored new leaves can be due to factors like shipping.

Many plant varieties, such as Chameleon ZZ, Fiddle Leaf Fig, or Philodendron Tortum, naturally produce lighter-colored new growth that darkens over time, which is perfectly normal and adds to their charm.

Occasionally, light-colored new leaves may arise due to factors like being shipped in darkness, but this isn't usually a cause for concern. For instance, new leaves might unfurl in the dark confines of a shipping box, lacking the light needed to activate chlorophyll, resulting in lighter coloration.

Fortunately, this is easily remedied: once you unpack your plants and provide them with ample light, chlorophyll production will resume over several days to a couple of weeks (depending on the plant species), restoring their natural color.

If your new plant does exhibit pale new growth upon unpacking, avoid placing it in direct sunlight immediately, as the leaves, with lower chlorophyll levels, are more prone to sunburn.