Succulent plants have actually ended up being so popular since they offer low maintenance and differed textures and shapes, both in gardens and indoors.
Crassula is a diverse and comprehensive genus of succulent plants, with about 300 types total, however most likely the most widely known of the group is the emerald green jade plant (Crassula ovata) — numerous know it as a houseplant, but outdoors in warm environments, it in fact becomes a shrub.
Crassula plants vary from annuals to perennials, herbaceous or woody plants, groundcovers to shrubs to little trees. Numerous types are few, including some miniatures and creeping ground covers. Nearly all crassula plants grow slow and consistent and can be tended to and took care of throughout the year when kept inside. Crassula plants can be harmful to animals.
Common Names: Jade plant, rattlesnake tail, living coral, string of buttons
Botanical Name: Crassula spp.
Family: Crassulaceae
Plant Type: Perennial
Mature Size: Varies by species
Sun Exposure: Full, partial
Soil Type: Moist but well-drained
Soil pH: Neutral, acidic
Bloom Time: Spring, summer
Flower Color: Varies by species
Hardiness Zones: 10–12 (USDA)
Native Area: South Africa
Toxicity: Toxic to pets
Keeping Your Crassula Plant Healthy – Crassula Plant Care Guide
A lot of crassula plants grown as houseplants stemmed from the eastern cape of South Africa. If you have the correct environment, the plants look great in the garden, but all look just as outstanding inside your home.
Given their low water requirements, jade plants and other crassula species are ideal for individuals who tend to overlook their plants. Even a single leaf that falls from the plant will typically take root in potting mix.
Light – Crassula Plant Care Guide
When growing outdoors, a website with early morning sun and afternoon shade is ideal (if put in full sun all day, the leaves might heat). When growing inside your home, place your plants in an area that receives intense indirect light all day, or direct sun for six hours of the day.
Soil – Crassula Plant Care Guide
Crassula plants need soil that is really well-draining and will do best in sandy, rocky blends developed particularly for succulents. They choose neutral to a little acidic soil, but even extreme pH levels seldom kill the plant. Crassula plants will respond severely to boggy, wet soils, as their roots can easily rot.
Water – Crassula Plant Care Guide
As a general rule, succulent plants choose sporadic watering. To prevent overwatering, soak the plant, permit it to drain completely, then await the soil to dry prior to watering again.
Throughout cooler months, you can reduce watering, as the roots can rot in cold wet soil. Crassula plants begin actively growing in the spring, so watch for a minor increase in watering requirements. When grown inside, watering need to be minimized from late fail winter, as the plants go semi-dormant throughout this time.
Temperature And Humidity – Crassula Plant Care Guide
Crassula plants can be grown outdoors as perennials in zones 10 through 12, but somewhere else you will require to bring them in for the winter season or grow them as houseplants. Some types will endure a mild frost, but temperature levels below 30 degrees Fahrenheit might be enough to kill them off. Jade plants and other crassula types prefer low humidity, but they likewise survive well in really humid climates.
Fertilizer – Crassula Plant Care Guide
Feed crassula plants moderately. You can give them a little natural fertilizer that points out on the label that it’s good for succulents. Fertilize in the summertime when they begin actively growing, however additional feeding is not necessary.
Crassula Species Types – Crassula Plant Care Guide
There are a lot of species and cultivars of crassula to select from that you may end up being a collector. In addition to the basic jade plant cultivars (Crassula ovata), here are a few others that might capture your eye:
Crassula ‘Morgan’s Appeal‘: This hybrid cultivar has actually silver leaves dusted in white, with quite pink, late spring flowers. It grows about 4 inches high.
Crassula erosula ‘Campfire‘: This range has long-branching lime leaves that turn blazing red in winter season. It’s a clumping plant that grows about 4 to 8 inches tall and spreads out as much as 3 feet wide.
Crassula pellucida variegata: This plant shows a streaming mass of heart-shaped leaves variegated in pink, green, and velvety yellow.
Crassula perforata: Likewise referred to as the stacked crassula, this plant has leaves that circle around a main stem, offering it the common name string of buttons.
Crassula arborescens: Frequently known as Chinese jade or silver dollar jade, these types have actually rounded blue-gray leaves with maroon edges. It will grow to be an attractive multi-stemmed shrub, as much as 4 feet high.
Crassula muscosa: Sometimes referred to as a watch chain, retail crassula, or zipper plant, these types has small light green leaves that give the stems of rough, corrugate appearance.
Crassula capitella: This species has numerous subspecies, all of which share green leaves that establish strong reddish colors in the sunshine. They are reasonably little plants, normally biennial. It is not frequently grown as a houseplant.
How To Propagate Crassula Plants – Crassula Plant Care Guide
Crassula plants are normally propagated from leaf or stem cuttings, which can be much simpler than growing brand-new plants from seed. You may want to propagate a couple of more fortunate jade plants, for example, and cuttings will certainly be the fastest way to do that.
To propagate with a leaf cutting – Crassula Plant Care Guide:
Get rid of a leaf from a healthy jade plant.
Put the leaf in a warm spot indoors (on a paper towel or plate) for a number of days and let a callus type over the cut area for a week. The callus is necessary to assist the leaf root and prevent rot.
Apply some rooting hormone on the callused end of the leaf (this step is optional).
Stick the callused end of the leaf into a small pot filled with somewhat wet potting mix. Do not water once again.
Put the pot in a warm, bright (but not directly lit) area.
Roots will sprout from the leaf after a week or two. (The leaf might diminish slightly while establishing roots, but this is regular.).
Gently water the leaf cutting now (with beads of water). Some garden enthusiasts utilize a turkey baster or eye dropper for careful watering. You do want to get sufficient water into the soil without disturbing the roots, nevertheless. Make sure the soil is dry in between each watering.
When the roots are well developed (carefully pulling on the cutting lets you understand how deep the roots go), plant it in a permanent pot or place in the garden at the correct time.
To propagate with a stem cutting – Crassula Plant Care Guide:
Take a stem cutting from a healthy plant. The cutting needs to be about 3 inches long with at least two pairs of leaves.
Keep the stem in a warm place for several days (on paper towels or a plate) up until the callus kinds over the cut area, which assists rooting and prevents rot.
Dip the bottom end of the cutting in rooting hormonal agent (this action is optional).
Fill a small pot with a well-drained potting mix that is somewhat moist, however not wet.
Place the stem upright into the soil; Assist it stand on its own with the help of toothpicks or rocks.
Put the pot in a warm, bright (but not directly lit) spots. Do not water.
Await a week or more till the cutting sends down roots into the potting mix.
Carefully pull on the cutting to look for stable roots. Once roots are established, perform deep watering but gently so the sensitive roots are undisturbed.
Let the soil dry in between waterings and keep out of direct sunlight until the cutting is ready to be planted in its long-term pot or place in the garden at the correct time.
How To Pot And Repot Crassula Plants – Crassula Plant Care Guide
With the revival of succulent container gardening, smaller sized crassula types are becoming quicker offered, and their easy-growing routine makes them worth learning more about. They are ideal container plants– low maintenance, evergreen, and appealing.
Choose a medium-sized ceramic pot or tough plastic container for your plants, however the containers must have exceptional drain holes to keep the soil and the roots from ending up being soggy. Select a potting soil for succulents that has a loose, grainy texture that drains uniformly and thoroughly and will not become clumpy.
Don’t Let Pests Ruin Your Crassula Succulents! – Crassula Plant Care Guide
While particular pests and diseases might vary between species, the majority of crassula plants encounter concerns with aphids, spider mites, mealybugs, and other common insects– particularly when grown indoors.3 Use non-chemical treatments such as neem oil or other horticultural oils to solve these pest issues.
