Can you recognize a bear's paw succulent when it grows like this? I laughed out loud, I'm not proud of it

Bear's paw succulent fans also call them naughty bear cubs. The bear's paw (Cotyledon tomentosa) is a perennial succulent herbaceous plant, with notches on the leaf margins at the top, green leaf surfaces, and densely covered with short white hairs. The leaves are fleshy, spoon-shaped, densely covered with white down, entire at the lower part, with claw-like teeth at the leaf tips. In a growing environment with sufficient sunlight, the teeth at the leaf tips turn reddish-brown, looking just like a little bear's paw, very cute.

The bear's paw likes sunlight, but it goes dormant when summer temperatures are too high. It prefers a warm, dry, sunny and well-ventilated environment, and dislikes cold and excessive moisture. In winter, watering should be decided according to room temperature and sunlight and other conditions. If there is not enough sunlight, do not let the potting soil get too wet. It can tolerate low temperatures of 5°C.

The bear's paw that everyone usually sees is adorable, with plump, velvety leaves and red claws, very much like a bear's paw. Although some succulent fans say that real bear's paw plants are not as cute as the seller's photos, at least they still look like the picture below, right? It still looks a bit plump and cute.

But a few days ago a friend showed off the bear's paw they were growing, and I couldn't help laughing out loud. It is the one below. If I did not say it was a bear's paw, you probably could not tell what it is. The original little chubby one grew out of shape.

This kind of situation is usually mostly a lighting problem. The bear's paw likes a ventilated, dry environment with plenty of light. If it is too shady, the stems and leaves will become thin and weak, the stems and leaves will become slender and leggy, and the down will lose its luster. Water control needs even more special attention, to avoid the leaves rotting from being too wet or shriveling and then dropping from being too dry. During the growing season it needs full sunlight. In the high heat of midsummer, shade it appropriately, but if it is too shaded, the stems and leaves become weak and the down lacks luster.

So if gardening enthusiasts want a plump bear's paw, they need to pay attention to lighting.