: : DRYSCAPES - CACTUS AND SUCCULENT PLANT SUPPLIER : :

WATERLESS PLANTS FOR WATERWISE GARDENERS

SUCCULENT PLANT SUPPLIER AND WATERLESS GARDEN DESIGNER

Crassula
CONTAINS 300 SPECIES OF SUCCULENT ANNUAL, BIENNIAL, AND PERENNIAL HERBS AND SMALL SHRUBS. A GREAT NUMBER OF THEM ARE SPREADING PERENNIALS OR BUSHY WOODY STEMMED SHRUBS. THE SPECIES OCCUR NATURALLY IN ASIA, EUROPE, MADAGASCAR, AND AUSTRALIA, BUT MOST ARE NATIVE TO SOUTHERN AFRICA. THESE PLANTS ARE USUALLY GROWN AS ORNAMENTALS, AND THEIR EASY MAINTENANCE MAKES MANY SPECIES SUITABLE FOR ROCK GARDENS, WHILE OTHERS MAKE ATTRACTIVE GROUNDCOVER PLANTS. THE GENUS NAME COMES FROM THE LATIN CRASSUS, MEANING THICK WHICH IS A REFERENCE TO THE THICKENED LEAVES. CRASSULA SPECIES HAVE FLESHY LEAVES THAT ARE USUALLY SHORT AND STEMLESS, AND ARE OFTEN CLOSELY SPACED, OPPOSITE, AND OFTEN TWISTED LIKE THE BLADES OF A PROPELLER. MANY SPECIES HAVE A GREY POWDERY BLOOM ON THEIR FOLIAGE. THE SMALL, SOMETIMES VIVIDLY COLORED, STAR-SHAPED OR TUBULAR FLOWERS ARE USUALLY BORNE IN DENSE PANICLES.
OFTEN CULTIVATED AS HOUSE PLANTS, CRASSULA SPECIES ARE EQUALLY AT HOME OUTDOORS IN MILD, NEAR FROST-FREE AREAS. LOCATE IN FULL OR HALF-SUN IN LIGHT, GRITTY, WELL-DRAINED SOIL, OR IN POTS WITH CACTUS COMPOST. WATER WHEN ACTIVELY GROWING, BUT OTHERWISE KEEP DRY WHEN COLD. ROUTINE DEADHEADING WILL KEEP THESE PLANTS COMPACT AND WILL ALSO ENCOURAGE NEW GROWTH. PROPAGATION IS USUALLY FROM LEAF CUTTINGS OR SMALL STEM CUTTINGS; SEEDS GERMINATE FREELY,, BUT ARE SLOW TO DEVELOP.
BUY BONSAI CRASSULA TREES IN THE DRYSCAPES SHOP.