Scientific Name
Crassula alba Forssk.
Synonym(s)
Crassula abyssinica, Crassula alba var. alba, Crassula ellenbeckiana, Crassula mannii, Crassula milleriana, Crassula puberula, Crassula recurva, Crassula rubicunda var. flexuosa, Crassula rubicunda var. hispida, Crassula rubicunda var. milleriana, Crassula rubicunda var. subglabra, Crassula rubicunda var. typica, Crassula stewartiae, Crassula stewartii, Globulea stricta, Rochea dichotoma, Rochea vaginata, Sedum rubicundum
Scientific Classification
Family: Crassulaceae
Subfamily: Crassuloideae
Genus: Crassula
Origin
The native range of this species is Eastern Africa from Ethiopia to South Africa (Eastern Cape). It grows in open deciduous woodlands.
Description
Crassula alba is an attractive succulent with a tuberous root producing one to many erect flowering stems surrounded at the base by dense rosulate leaves. It grows up to 20 inches (50 cm) tall, including inflorescence. Rosete leaves are lance-shaped with a folded to channeled upper surface, up to 6.8 inches (17 cm) long and up to 0.6 inches (1.5 cm) wide. They are green to yellowish-green, sometimes with purple spots. Cauline leaves are similar to the basal ones but usually smaller. Flowers are tubular, 5-merous, up to 0.3 inches (0.7 cm) long, white, greenish-white, or bright to deep red. They appear arranged in erect terminal flat-topped thyrses with many dichasia from mid-summer to fall.
Etymology
The first description of this species in 1775 was for a white-flowered plant, hence the specific epithet. Only later were red and pink-flowered plants found.
Hardiness
USDA hardiness zones 9b to 11b: from 25 °F (−3.9 °C) to 50 °F (+10 °C).
How to Grow and Care
Crassulas are easy to grow but susceptible to mealy bugs and fungal diseases. As with all succulents, overwatering is sure to be fatal, so err on the side of too dry rather than too wet. Never let your Crassula sit in water. If you water from beneath by letting the plant sit in a saucer of water, make sure to pour off any excess water after a few minutes.
Crassulas are generally started by division, offsets, or leaf cuttings. Plants can be easily propagated from a single leaf: sprout leaves by placing them into a succulent or cacti mix, then covering the dish until they sprout.
Repot as needed, preferably during the warm season. To repot a succulent, ensure the soil is dry before repotting, then gently remove the pot. Knock away the old soil from the roots, removing any rotted or dead roots. Treat any cuts with a fungicide. Place the plant in its new pot and backfill it with potting soil, spreading the roots as you repot. Leave the plant dry for a week or so, then begin to water lightly to reduce the risk of root rot.
See more at How to Grow and Care for Crassula.
Varieties
Links
- Back to genus Crassula
- Succupedia: Browse succulents by Scientific Name, Common Name, Genus, Family, USDA Hardiness Zone, Origin, or cacti by Genus
Photo Gallery
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