Thanks so much for your quick response. I have tried researching what may have turned it white and to no avail! It does make sense about the chlorophyll though. Would this have caused the majority of its leaves to fall off too? (seems more severe than the reasoning that its merely trying to reproduce!?).

Thank you, I will most definitely try to mix that into the soil!

When you first received your plant did it look like this?

pic from World of Succulents.

Lack of light equals a weak plant. So that could definitely cause leaves to fall off.

@Kara, When I got it, the heads were completely pink (the now white parts). I think the environment wherever the plant came from was tweaked to create this effect as I've seen nothing similar online; it was a very bright pink. The leaves were dark green with no sort of white layer as seen in the above pictures.

@Irene So lovely! I might just do that when my one becomes a bit healthier!

Just contacted the person who bought the plant for me. She happened to take a photograph so this is what it looked like before. She also said that she had the plant potted after buying it so perhaps it was put it into the wrong soil as well. Such a big difference in just two weeks!

I suspect that you are looking at some sort of induced coloration that has now worn off

Irene

General advice is not to use layer of pebbles on bottom of the pot. You did say:..."Putting pebbles in the bottom of a dish is the best thing so the water can drain out of the soil"...and if you meant saucer/drainage dish, then I am reading your message wrongly and misunderstood.

Using layer of pebbles to raise the pot higher will work, but there is still standing water. If you mean container itself, there shouldn't be any layers. This is faulty advice that will temporary slow down possible rotting of the roots of plant kept without proper drainage - and that is potting mix, and the container. Container should have drainage holes - anything could be a container and look good, but drainage holes should be drilled in it. Different materials need to be thoroughly mixed, they should be of approx. same size to create fast draining mix, not layered. These are considered best growing conditions for succulents. Sure, you can grow in water retaining soil or in sand, or in a container without drainage and even in water - and plants may look fine for a while. But those are not best conditions for a long term of heath of plant, and even for convenience of the grower (has to be much more attentive to the watering...)

This is so strange now that I see the before pic the problem is not from lack of light. I have bought succulents from big box stores that started off variegated, but eventually grew out of it. Like this.

I suspect the growers treat the plants in some way to make them do this. The new growth is green. Now there’s zero white left on the plant.

Lauren’s plant is totally opposite, it’s getting more white as it grows. WEIRD;)! From the looks of it the Echeveria looks like ‘Chroma’.

Very curious to see what happens.

Thank you everyone for your advice; there are so many different opinions out there!

I think what may have happened is that the lady who potted the plant (into a container with no drainage) may have overwatered it (looks very wet from the picture my friend sent) and consequently the leaves fell off.

I have replanted it into a container with drainage and added pumice to the soil. The plant is now almost completely white but is no longer losing leaves. Hopefully it can be saved! :)