Synonyms:

There are not synonyms for this plant

Habitat:

Crassula ‘Baby’s Surprise’ was introduced by Rudolf Schulz in 1993 and is a mutation of Crassula ‘Baby’s Necklace’, a hybrid between Crassula rupestris ssp. marnieriana and Crassula perforate.

Description:

Crassula ‘Baby’s Surprise’ is an uncommon succulent belonging to the Crassulaceae botanical family. The plant is very similar to Crassula ‘Baby’s Necklace’ but it differs in its smaller, rounded leaves and upright stems. The stem is short and erect and the plant tends to branch from the base. The succulent is very small and can reach up to 8 cm in height and 5 cm in diameter. The leaves are sessile, so directly inserted on the stem, very close each other and hide the stem. The leaves are triangular, rounded, arranged in opposite pairs, they are glaucus green in color but can take reddish hues if exposed to the sunlight. The arrangement of the leaves makes the stem look quadrangular but it is not. With age the stem tends to take on a sculptural shape and this makes the plant highly sought after by collectors. Blooming occurs from the early spring to the late summer and blossom are borne at the apex of the stem. The flowers are small, funnel-shaped and whitish in color.

Cultivation:

This is a slow growing plant, easy to cultivate. The plant needs a full light sun exposure but is recommended to avoid direct sun-light in the hottest periods. The plant does not like temperatures below 7°C so it needs to be placed indoors in the coldest periods. The soil should be mixed with pumice, clay and loam to allow the drainage and prevent the root rot, the plant is prone to it indeed. Using a perforating pot, you can drain excess water. Watering is very important for this species and should be done well: during the vegetative period you can water the plant (every 7 days), checking that the soil is completely dry before watering again; in winter you should stop the watering to allow the plant to enter dormancy. About fertilization, for this plant is sufficient to fertilize moderately during the growing season with the specific fertilizers for succulents and stop fertilizing during the winter. You should repot the plant every 2 years in a pot 2 cm wider. Repotting should be done early in the growing season with fresh new potting soil. Be careful to red spiders and mealy bugs.

Propagation:

Propagation can be done by cutting or by seed. By cutting you can make the cut during the spring and then let the cutting dry; after a few days the cut surface will dry and a callus will form, then place the cutting in a mixture of sand, soil and pumice. To increase the success of propagation you can make two or more cuttings at the same time. For cuttings it is recommended temperatures around 20 °C. By seed it is very simple to propagate the plant, it is enough to sow the seed in a sandy loam soil and keep it with a high level of humidity and at temperature of 14 C°.

Curiosity:

From its name you could say that it is the “succulent plant” par excellence: its name comes from the Latin crassus, that means fat. The Crassula is a plant unpretentious but with a high vegetative strength: for this reason, it is sometimes used in a closed area for air purification, which is filtered by eliminating harmful substances.

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