Synonyms:

Crassula corpusculariopsis
Crassula densa
Crassula dinteri
Crassula elegans subsp. elegans
Crassula globosa
Crassula humilis
Crassula mesembrianthoides
Crassula schoenlandii

Habitat:

Crassula elegans is native to South Africa and Namibia, where it grows in semi-arid habitats in sandy soils, hidden in the shade of other bigger plants. It is widely widespread in its habitat and not threatened at all.

Description:

Crassula elegans is a dwarf, succulent species. It is a perennial plant that barely reaches 8 centimeters in height, though it’s very beautiful and decorative thanks to the compact, bright green tinged in red foliage. Its habit is sprawling and its stems are very short and more or less curved and much branched. The old leaves usually shrivel at the base of the stems. The decorative potential of this species is represented mainly by its leaves: gut-shaped, bright green with red tinges appearing when the plant is exposed to intense sunlight. They are very tiny: 5-7 millimeters long and wide, they are closely packed on each other so that the stem underneath is not visible. The blooming season is variable: from late Summer, to Autumn or Winter depending on the growth condition. The plant produces the so-called thyrses, which are a kind of inflorescence made of a primary axe with an indeterminate (infinite) growth and many secondary axes with a determinate growt that form small cymes, so that the general aspect is of many cymose inflorescences that branch off a primary axe. Flowers are tubular-shaped with the petals fused together, very numerous and small. They range from white to cream-yellowish in colour and have a sweet, delicate scent.

Cultivation:

Crassula elegans is native to South Africa and Namibia, where it grows in semi-arid habitats in sandy soils, hidden in the shade of other bigger plants. It is widely widespread in its habitat and not threatened at all.

The best exposure is in full sun or semi-shade. By the way, intense sunlight enhances the bright red tinges of its leaves, so we advice to put it in a bright spot. Avoid a direct exposure during the hottest hours of summer days. Shade should be only occasional, as plants grown in full shade tend to become more fragile, to loose leaves and turn on a paler colour.
To stay safe, it’s better to keep your Crassula elegans indoors in Winter or at least to shelter it, if you live in a temperate climate area and you choose to grow it outdoors. Crassulas in general, in fact, should never grow at temperatures below 7 ° C though, in theory, C. elegans should survive to temperatures down to -5ºC
Water your Crassula elegans every 2-3 days in Spring and Summer during the growth season. By the way, if you forget, the plant will survive. Wait for the soil to dry up completely before each watering. Watering slightly more frequent in spring may encourage flowering. In autumn and winter, the watering can be reduced up to be completely suspended.
Choose a porous and well drained substrate, fed with plenty of well-rotten compost. An acidic substrate is the ideal for C. elegans.
Fertilization can be done once the growth season, diluting a product specific for succulents with water at half the doses recommended on the label.
Crassula elegans stays very small and thus doesn’t require frequent repottings. It will stay okay in its pot for many years. Sometimes, though, it could be good to repot it to provide fresh soil.

Propagation:

Crassula elegans can be easily propagated through the removal of the offshoots, by removing a lateral one and planting it in a light, well-drained soil. The time required to root is usually a month. Cuttings are easy to realize and thus we recommend this method, instead of sowing, that can be more tough with this plant.

Curiosity:

The genus name “Crassula” comes from the Latin crassus, that means fat. The crassula is an unpretentious plant, with a high vegetative strength: for this reason, it is sometimes used for air purification indoors, in bedrooms and offices, due to its capacity to eliminate harmful and polluting particles from the atmosphere. The species name “elegans” is related to the beauty of the plant, with its compact foliage that earnes it an elegant shape.

Official Web Site:
www.giromagi.com

Italian Blog:
www.giromagicactus.com

Tips:
Read our advice