Types of crassula: descriptions and photos

HomeCrassulaTypes of crassula: descriptions and photos

The genus Crassulus (crassula) is very numerous, it is distinguished by a variety of species, most of which belong to succulents growing in arid places on our planet. Many of them are bred as unpretentious indoor plants, but there are also real rarities cultivated only in greenhouses. The most common types of crassula as domestic plants can be divided into tree-like, ground cover or creeping, and columnar, with thick, densely leafy stems. Below are descriptions of some of the species of crassula belonging to these groups, photos of plants and individual recommendations for their use.

tree crassula

Usually in the people they are called by a common name: fat woman “money tree”. Crassulas of this group are very popular in culture, due to their unpretentiousness and spectacular appearance, they are often grown in rooms and used to create bonsai.

The most common:

Crassula oval, or ovata (C. ovata) , is a bush 60-100 cm high with a profusely branching woody stem and succulent oval leaves up to 5 cm long, up to 2.5 cm wide. The color of the leaf plates is green above, below, due to the presence of anthocyanins, with a reddish tint, some specimens have a red border.

The surface of the leaves can be covered with light speckles, for which the flower is also called silvery fat woman (C. argentea) .

Another common species name is purslane (C. portulacea) . The plant is characterized by the presence of aerial roots on the trunk and branches, initially white, darkening with time. Blooms rarely and only in adulthood, the flowers are small, white or pinkish, collected in a paniculate inflorescence.

Crassula ovata

Crassula ovata is considered one of the most shade-tolerant indoor succulents, it has long been widely used in culture, has many varieties and varieties that differ in size, original shape and color of the leaves. The most common.

Crassula Minor

Crassula minor (C. ovate Minor) – a compact form, its variety “Crosby’s Compact” is much smaller than the natural form, the leaves are reddish, do not exceed 1.5 cm in length, 1 cm in width. It grows slowly and beautifully looks in mini-gardens.

Crassula form

Crassula oblique (C. ovata var. Oblique) , a less common form with a pointed tip of the leaf. Its leaf plates are somewhat larger, with sides slightly bent down and a raised end.

Crassula “The Hobbit”

Crassula hobbit (C. Hobbit) and gollum (C. Gollum) are two similar hybrid varieties created in the 70s of the last century in the USA, presumably by crossing fat women ovat and dairy (C. Lactea). They have an original leaf shape, in “Hobbit” they are turned outward and fused from the base to the middle, and in “Gollum” they are completely folded into a tube with funnel-shaped expanding tips. The growth pattern and dimensions are the same as those of the ordinary crassula ovata, perhaps only with even more branching trunks. Very decorative, suitable for creating bonsai. There are several variegated forms.

Crassula “Sunset”

Crassula Sunset (C. ovata cv. Hummel’s Sunset) , a cultivar with leaves adorned with white or yellow stripes along the edge and a pronounced red border. Sometimes a Dutch variety is sold under this name with very decorative yellow-red leaves, which, however, retain their original color only in bright sunlight in the greenhouse, and at home become just green.

Crassula “Tricolor”

Crassula tricolor (C. ovata var. Oblique cv. Tricolor) and solana (C. ovata var. Oblique cv. Solana) , varieties of fat women with white stripes against a background of bright red edging (tricolor) and bright yellow stripes (solana). In the last cultivar, the stripes are arranged asymmetrically, their number varies in different shoots, in some chlorophyll-free areas are completely absent. Such completely green shoots must be removed, otherwise the flower will gradually lose its variegation.

Crassula arborescens

Crassula tree-like (C. arborescens) is a larger species compared to the previous one with almost round bluish leaves with a red border and a reddish bottom, often covered with dark speckles. The growth of a tree at home can reach 150 cm, the size of the leaves is up to 7 cm in length and up to 5 cm in width. The flower is very decorative, outwardly similar to the crassula ovata, but it is used less often in indoor floriculture, since it is more demanding in care. The plant requires good lighting and does not tolerate waterlogging of the roots, which quickly rots.

It also has a number of cultivars, including:

Crassula undulatifolia (C. undulatifolia) with narrow, up to 3 cm, flat, silver-blue leaves, the tip of which is often colored red.

And its variegated form (C. arborescens undulatifolia f. variegata) ;

Crassula curly (C. arborescens curviflora) with wavy curly leaves (grade “Blue Bird”).

Creeping Crassula Lycopsus

Less common in room culture are fat women with thin, lodging stems, which are also very decorative, usually grow well, forming dense curtains, and can be used as ground cover or ampelous plants.

To this group of species belong:

Crassula lycopodoid (C. lycopodioides) or mossy (C. Muscosa) compact, no higher than 25 cm, shrub, has fleshy, tetrahedral, creeping shoots along the ground with slightly rising tops. The appearance and characteristic structure of the leaves, small, scaly, tiled in four rows, tightly adjacent to the trunk and to each other, resemble a club moss, which is reflected in the name of the flower. Undemanding, tolerates slight shading, in bright light the leaf scales become red. Quite often grown in rooms, it has several varieties that differ in the structure of the bush and leaves.

Thus, in C. pseudolycopodioides, the stems are more curved, and the leaves are less pressed against the stem and less often located. Recently, cultivars have been created with variegated, silvery and yellow-colored leaves.

Crassula tetrahedral (C. tetralix) , another creeping species, outwardly similar to the previous one, has an awl-shaped leaves, fleshy, almost round in diameter, up to 4 cm long, up to 0.4 cm thick.

Crassula point (C.picturata) , a very ornamental plant with lodging, abundantly branching shoots and originally painted leaves, the size of which is about 1.5 cm in length and 0.8 cm in width. Their green surface is covered with numerous dots, red on top, purple-red on the reverse side of the leaf, the edges are decorated with thin transparent cilia.

Crassula Cooper (C. Cupera Regel) is similar in appearance to the flower described above, differs from it in a smaller size.

Column-shaped crassula (crassula)

The plants belonging to this group are very picturesque due to their unusual structure. Their leaves, thick and opposite, like all fat women, grow together at their bases and so cover the stem that they seem to be strung on it. Compact size, the ability to grow in dense thick curtains and the original appearance explain the popularity of these exotic succulents among flower growers, they look great in various compositions, and can be grown in ampelous form. Most often found on sale:

Crassula perforate or perforated (C. perforate) , a small plant with diamond-shaped leaves, arranged in pairs and with their bases covering a slightly branched hard stem. Each next pair grows crosswise with respect to the previous one, so it seems that the trunk grows through them, which is reflected in the name of the flower. The color of the leaves is usually light green with a bluish bloom, a red cartilaginous edging is visible along the edge. The length of the trunks can reach 10-20 cm, the diameter of the entire “column” is usually about 2-3 cm. There are variegated forms in which young leaves have yellow stripes in the center or along the edges, and retain a green color down the trunk.

Crassula combined, or collected, group (C. socialis) , undersized succulent with thin, highly branched stems, on which columnar rosettes are densely located with small, up to 5 mm, rounded leaves, smooth, flat, ciliated at the edges, bluish-green hue. It grows well, forming dense pillows.

Crassula broad-leaved or rock (C. rupestris) – taller than the previous species, its creeping or erect fleshy branched shoots can reach 60 cm. The leaves are thick, smooth, rounded with a pointed end, 1-2.5 mm long, 1- 2 mm. Painted in green with a blue tint with reddish-rusty stripes in the upper part of the leaf plate.

Decorative flowering crassula (money tree)

Most of the species, including those described above, rarely bloom when grown at home and mostly at a very mature age. They are valued solely for the original structure and color of the leaves, as well as the beautiful shape of the plant as a whole. However, there are several varieties that bloom annually and profusely; they can be attributed not only to decorative foliage, but also to flowering indoor succulents.

The most famous:

Crassula crescent (C. falcata Wendl) , the most spectacular of the representatives of the genus, is distinguished by large, up to 20 cm in diameter, scarlet-red umbellate inflorescences, blooming on the tops of fleshy, tall (up to 1 m) stems. The leaves are very thick, have a characteristic crescent shape and blunt ends, are located on the stem at an angle of 90 ° wrapping around it with fused bases. Flowering is annual, occurs in July-August.

Crassula pierced (C. perfoliata) , another willingly and abundantly flowering plant, with triangular-lanceolate pointed leaves up to 15 cm long and red or white flowers, collected in an inflorescence – an umbrella and blooming in summer. It can reach 1 m in height.

Regularly flowering species also include the above-described dotted fat woman, whose paniculate inflorescences are painted in pink tones, and Cooper, with pale beige flowers.

In conclusion, we note that succulents called “crassula mix” are often sold in stores. This name means “mixture” and indicates that the plants were supplied in a batch in which various species and cultivars were present.

To determine the specific variety or variety of the purchased flower, you need to use various catalogs with photos available, for example, on the Internet, or consult with experienced succulent lovers.

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