Hello!

Ever since I got this guy he has not been doing so hot. Originally, I had him in indirect light but just moved him into more direct light in my Western window. I water him like my other succulents, and he is in good succulent soil. Please help!

Try to provide as much light as possible indoors.

Areas that get a lot of sun will warm up so you want to make sure a plant right on the windowsill does not cooked. The danger from heat is more to the roots than the rest of the plant, and you can get some idea by putting your hand on the side of the pot. It is not a problem here because temperatures are normally quite mild and there is good air flow.

Most succulents are not great indoor plants if they don't get a daily dose of sun. Indirect indoor light might work for Sansevierias and a few other plants, but otherwise you should assume they need a lot of light, like right on a windowsill or next to it. Even if they might be able to survive in low light conditions, they will likely end up stretched, and that's basically irreversible once it happens. I'm guessing the plant in the picture is stretching (distance between leaves along the stem should be as short as posible).

For purposes of comparison, I would consider my SW-facing window (hours of daily indoor sun year round) roughly equivalent to very bright shade outside (no direct sun). At least that's how I handle my young seedlings when I move them outside, if I don't have a better place in filtered light. Indoor sun is much kinder than the outdoor type, and the only way it will really harm your succulents (other than the casserole effect described above) is if they go from a position in total shade (very low light) right into a bright spot. Any kind of sudden dramatic change is going to be stressful for your plants, and generally to be avoided (usually substitute a series of smaller steps).

Hopefully this advice is helpful. Most rosette succulents like the one in the picture will lose their lower leaves as a normal part of growing up, and it is nothing to be overly concerned about at this point.

Thank you!!

Looks like it may be Cistanthe/Calandrinia.

Would you say Cistanthe grandiflora or Cistanthe guadalupense?

If you're asking me, I wouldn't begin to try to decide w/o seeing its' blooms. Someone more familiar might know.

Hello Lindsey! I agree with Baja, the plant is etiolating so it is getting stretchy, trying to get more light. Typical to lose older leaves like it does now on your plant, and I do see active growth at the tip, so it is still doing okay.. At times it may start getting too top heavy, so you may chop off the rosette, callus and repot. There are times too, when conditions are right, new rosettes may form up and down the stem.

Not sure which one you have there, but most of my succulents that looks like that, behaves as such, and I already grow them outdoors in containers, they just love the sun here.

It reminds me of a etiolated Graptoveria 'Fred Ives'...??