Scientific Name
Crassula brevifolia Harv.
Synonym(s)
Crassula brevifolia subsp. brevifolia, Bulliarda brevifolia, Crassula flavovirens, Crassula montis-draconis, Crassula pearsonii
Scientific Classification
Family: Crassulaceae
Subfamily: Crassuloideae
Genus: Crassula
Origin
Crassula brevifolia is native to South Africa.
Description
Crassula brevifolia is a small, usually much-branched succulent shrub with branches that bear thick, fleshy green leaves fading to yellowish-green or purplish-red in full sun. It can grow up to 20 inches (50 cm) tall. The branches are green, become woody with flaking brown bark with age, and can reach a diameter of up to 0.2 inches (0.5 cm). The leaves are often covered with a thick bloom. They are linear-elliptic, curved upwards, roughly triangular in cross-section, and can measure up to 2 inches (5 cm) long and 0.7 inches (1.8 cm) wide.
The flowers are yellowish-green, rarely white, tinged with pink, and appear in a rounded or irregularly branched thyrse in fall.
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 mealybugs and fungal diseases. As with all succulents, overwatering is 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 allowing the plant to sit in a saucer, 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. Place leaves into a potting mix for succulents and cover the pot until they sprout.
Repot as needed, preferably during the warm season. To repot your Crassula, 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 with potting soil, spreading the roots as you repot. Leave the plant dry for a week or so, then water lightly to reduce the risk of root rot.
See more at How to Grow and Care for Crassula.
Links
- Back to genus Crassula
- Succupedia: Browse succulents by Scientific Name, Common Name, Genus, Family, USDA Hardiness Zone, Origin, or cacti by Genus
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