Succulent Plants for the Discerning Collector – not
just Jade Plants any more
There are many Crassula; the ubiquitous Jade Tree is only the beginning; Crassula species and varieties cover the complete size range from tiny ground covers to giant trees.
Most of the Crassula we see outside of their natural habitat as succulent house plants are the smaller ground covers to shrub sized species.
Crassula ovata or Crassula argentea, sometimes also called the Jade Tree, is the most commonly grown, and most people have had the green puffy leafed houseplant survive in stuffy dorm rooms, dark libraries or a back bedroom.
They often are called Jade Plant, or Money Tree.
With a will to survive like this it’s no surprise that they are so popular.
If grown well, this is a gorgeous plant, with elephant like trunks which can be trimmed to form one large stem, or multi stemmed like a forest.
These plants love hard pruning and pinching of new growth, and can form a compact clump in only a few seasons, and will bloom with white to palest pink blooms in winter.
They need to be root bound, and watered only in the summer for the best display. Legend has it that the flowers are scented, an extra bonus.
Close up, you can see all the details of this incredible creation. Every part of this miniscule flower has a purpose. If you’re lucky enough to see a Crassula bloom, make sure to look closely under a hand lens to see every detail…
Some of the other not so common Crassula are Crassula perforata, Crassula rupestres and Crassula brevifolia.
These are smaller, shrubby forming types, lovely all year, and once old enough will bloom with clouds of incredibly pretty white to pale pink tiny flowers.
‘Blue Bird’
brevifolium
‘Gollum’ – Goblin Fingers
Another variety that is getting more well known, primarily for the name of Crassula ‘Gollum’ after the strange little marsh creature in Lord of the Rings, and also known as Goblin Fingers for the appearance of the spatulate leaves, looking very much like green fingers.
The growth is very dense, and makes a great companion to other succulents in a container or succulent planter.
‘Green Pagoda’
ovata
pseudolycopoides
A larger type is Crassula ‘Blue Bird’ a cross between Crassula ovata and Crassula arborescens; according to some sources it’s listed as Crassula arborescens subsp. undulatifolia.
This is a larger scale plant which is more shrublike, and lends itself well to indoor bonsai.
Caring for Crassula
They are susceptible to only a few pests – overwatering can lead to root rot, as in all succulent plants, and mealy bugs can be hard to eradicate.
Constant vigilance is essential if you have an infestation.
If all else fails, take a leaf and propagate it, making sure to get rid of any hitch hikers.
Throw the mature infested plant in the garbage right away to eliminate the problem and prevent spreading it around.
Well drained soil, occasional deep watering and warmth are Crassulas main requirements.
Bright light will deepen the colour of the leaves, and bring out any markings or colouration.
Fertilize sparingly, maybe once a year in the spring. I recommend using a small amount of worm castings sprinkled on the surface of the soil or the occasional watering with compost tea.
Crassula coccinea
Crassula coccinea will often surprise – sometimes it’s green, but then changes to an extreme red hue – after all, coccinea means red, so it shouldn’t surprise us.
Crassula falcata
Crassula falcata is the Propeller Plant – so called for the shape of its leaves.
The plant is very pretty with it’s grey blue foliage, but the flowers are even more spectacular.
They are held in a cluster on a stem above the plant, and are bright red.
An unknown Crassula
There are many more species of Crassula that are not that common so they’re harder to identify.
The characteristics that most of them have are opposing sets of leaves, and quite visible pores in the surface of each leaf.
See more about Crassula here…
Click on the links to see more about all kinds of other Crassula…
Crassula or maybe not.
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Can you help identify this succulent?
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Mainly stem with pairs of leaves about an inch apart
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Hi i have a succulent plant and i have no idea what it is
I have attached the picture of the leaves i can take more photo’s if needed
Purplish edges…
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Starry succulents
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Opposing leaves, spotted, red fringes with fine jagged edges
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Broad, flat but thick leaf succulent
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My favorite.
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Long Stem
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Bright green succulent.
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Random Succulent…
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our unnamed tree plant
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We need an identification of this plant please
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Thick, tubular, deep green stalks with tiny white spots
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Spikey Lil Leaves
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large leaves
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Seaweed-like succulent.
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Tube-like fingers
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