Scientific Name
Crassula barbata Thunb.
Common Name(s)
Bearded-leaved Crassula
Synonym(s)
Crassula barbata subsp. barbata, Crassula lettyae, Purgosea barbata
Scientific Classification
Family: Crassulaceae
Subfamily: Crassuloideae
Genus: Crassula
Description
Crassula barbata is a monocarpic succulent with a usually solitary rosette or proliferating from the base to form small groups. It grows up 1.2 inches (3 cm) tall. Leaves are green to grey-green, glabrous but margin with dense, long white ascending-spreading cilia. They are up to 2 inches (5 cm) long and up to 1.6 inches (4 cm) wide. Up to 1 foot (30 cm) tall spikes of small, white to pinkish flowers appear in spring. After flowering, the rosette will die. Fortunately, the dying rosette usually produces several basal rosettes that can be detached and grown on to repeat the cycle.
Hardiness
It is grown as an annual plant, so it has no USDA hardiness zone.
How to Grow and Care
Crassulas are easy to grow, but they are 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 plant 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.
These succulents are generally started by division, offsets, or leaf cuttings. Crassulas can be easily propagated from a single leaf. Sprout leaves by placing them into a potting mix for succulents, then covering the dish until they sprout.
Repot as needed, preferably during the warm season. To repot your Crassula, make sure the soil is dry before repotting, then gently remove the pot. Knock away the old soil from the roots, making sure to remove any rotted or dead roots in the process. Treat any cuts with a fungicide. Place the plant in its new pot and backfill with potting soil, spreading the roots out as you repot. Leave the plant dry for a week or so, then begin to water lightly to reduce the risk of root rot.
Learn more at How to Grow and Care for Crassula.
Origin
Crassula barbata is native to South Africa (south-western Great Karoo to Prince Albert, also Victoria West in the Central Karoo).
Links
- Back to genus Crassula
- Succupedia: Browse succulents by Scientific Name, Common Name, Genus, Family, USDA Hardiness Zone, Origin, or cacti by Genus