Crassula rupestris (Kebab Bush)

Scientific Name

Crassula rupestris Thunb.

Common Names

Kebab Bush, Concertina Bush, Bead Vine, Rosary Vine, Buttons on a String, Necklace Vine

Synonyms

Crassula rupestris subsp. rupestris, Crassula monticola, Purgosea rupestris

Scientific Classification

Family: Crassulaceae
Subfamily: Crassuloideae 
Genus: Crassula

Description

Crassula rupestris is a much-branched, succulent, perennial subshrub up to 12 inches (30 cm) tall and wide (up to 3 feet/1 m tall in nature). The stems are thin, fleshy near the growing tip, but rather woody lower down. Leaves are small, thick, opposite, ovate and lanceolate in shape, up to 1 inch (2.5 cm) long and grayish in color (during the summer months the leaf margins turn a brilliant red or yellow). Flowers are grouped in clusters, deep pink to pale pink, star-shaped and up to 0.25 inch (6 mm) across.

Hardiness

USDA hardiness zone 9b to 11b: from 25 °F (−3.9 °C) to 50 °F (+10 °C).

How to Grow and Care

Crassula 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 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.

Crassula 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, make sure the soil is dry before repotting, then gently remove the pot… – See more at: How to Grow and Care for Crassula

Origin

Native to Namibia and South Africa (Eastern Cape, Northern Cape, Western Cape).

Subspecies, Varieties, Forms, Cultivars and Hybrids

• C. rupestris subsp. commutata
• C. rupestris ‘High Voltage’
• C. rupestris subsp. marnieriana
• C. rupestris subsp. marnieriana ‘Contorta’
• C. rupestris var. monticola
• Crassula ‘Bride’s Bouquet’
• Crassula ‘Springtime’
• Crassula ‘Tom Thumb’

Links

• Back to genus Crassula
• Succulentopedia: Browse succulents by Scientific Name, Common Name, Genus, Family, USDA Hardiness Zone, Origin, or cacti by Genus

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