Synonyms:

Common names:
Crassula ovata ‘Gollum’
Gollum Jade
Ogre Ears
Shrek’s Ears
Finger Jade

Habitat:

Originally from South Africa, Crassula cv. ‘Gollum’ is a succulent plant that thrives in arid, semi-desert regions. It’s accustomed to rocky terrains and can tolerate drought conditions. In its natural habitat, this plant enjoys a climate with hot, dry summers and mild, wetter winters.

Description:

Crassula cv. ‘Gollum’ is a unique, ornamental succulent belonging to the Crassulaceae botanical family. The most striking feature of Crassula cv. ‘Gollum’ are its leaves. They are uniquely tubular, almost finger-like, with a lush green color that can turn to a rich, reddish hue under certain conditions, particularly at the tips. The leaves have a glossy texture and are often described as jade-like in appearance, contributing to the plant’s common name ‘Finger Jade’. It’s a small to medium-sized succulent, growing up to 90 cm tall with a shrubby growth habit, often branching out with age. It typically blooms in the colder months, primarily in winter. The flowers are small, star-shaped, and are usually white or pale pink. They grow in clusters at the ends of the branches, adding a delicate contrast to the stout, green leaves.

Cultivation:

The plant has a slow growth rate but it easy to cultivate. The best sun-exposure is in bright place but is recommended to avoid direct sun-light in the hottest periods. The minimum temperatures that the plant can withstand are 7 °C, below this temperature it begins to suffer so it needs to be placed indoors in the coldest periods. The perfect soil is a well-drained soil that let the water to drain away and avoid root rot. To achieve this feature, you can mix the pumice soil, clay and soil. 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 name ‘Gollum’ draws a direct parallel to the character from J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Lord of the Rings,” owing to the plant’s quirky, finger-like leaves.

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www.giromagi.com

Italian Blog:
www.giromagicactus.com

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