Synonyms:

No synonyms are recorded for this species name.

Habitat:

Crassula “Money Maker” variegated is a nursery variety and, thus, it doesn’t exist in nature. Its actual name is deemed to be “Crassula swaziensis Money maker”. Crassula swaziensis, the actual species, is native to South Africa, where it grows on rocky outcrop is a semi-arid habitat. The “Money maker” is a nursey cultivar produced from the species “swaziensis”.

Description:

Crassula “Money Maker” variegated is a small succulent plant, sought after by succulent lovers for the beautiful tinges of colours and its glowing, abundant rosettes that soon occupy all the available space, creating a highly decorative little bush. Variegated forms are varieties in which a genetic mutation occurs and alters the capacity to produce chlorophyll of a plant, resulting in beautiful colour tinges, frequently pale yellow, enhancing their decorative potential. In Crassula “Money Maker” variegated, in particular, leaves are light green, with pale yellow edges. Often, the yellow colour creates bigger stripe, covering the leaf for more than a half of its surface. The leaves are oval and flattened, growing in opposite pairs, densely packed one on another, forming crowded rosettes. Their shape reminds somehow a coin: we wonder if this is the reason for the variety name, as this is still uncertain. As in any Crassula, the inflorescence consists in a cyme borne on an elongated peduncle. The flowers are small and variable in colour, but don’t appear much often.

Cultivation:

Crassula “Money Maker” variegated is not so difficult to cultivate. Here below are our tips:

The best exposure is in full sun or semi-shade. By the way, intense direct sunlight should be avoided during the Summer. During the rest of the year, place it in a sunny spot. 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 “Money Maker” variegated 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. In frost-free areas, by the way, Crassula “Money Maker” variegated can stay outdoors even during the Winter.
Provide a good ventilation rate, as this species doesn’t like stagnant air.
Water your Crassula “Money Maker” variegated 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: a succulent mix will do good for your Crassula “Money Maker” variegated.
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 “Money Maker” variegated grows pretty fast, so repotting should be carried out once a year. Choose a shallow pot to host its fibrous roots properly.

Propagation:

Crassula “Money Maker” variegated can be easily propagated through the removal of the offshoots, by removing a lateral one and planting it in a sandy, porous mix. Also stem cuttiings should be placed in a similar medium, and moisted every 3-4 days. The time required to root is usually 2-3 weeks. Cuttings are easy to realize and thus we recommend this method, instead of sowing, that can be more tough with this species. Also leaf cuttings are a viable method. Seeds, instead, have to be sown in Autumn.

Curiosity:

The genus name “Crassula” comes from the Latin crassus, that means fat. All Crassulas are unpretentious plants, with a high vegetative strength: for this reason, they are sometimes used for air purification indoors, in bedrooms and offices, due to its capacity to eliminate harmful and polluting particles from the atmosphere.

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