November's Plant of the Month

Crassula argentea

a.k.a. Crassula ovata

Native to South Africa, this drought tolerant succulent is a favorite among indoor gardeners. They require nothing more than the basics of plant life, alittle bit of water and lots of sun. They are slow growing and can live in the same pot for years. Given lots of light the plant will produce a red stripe around the edges of the leaves giving it a unique appearance among other green foliage plants. I started a plant two years ago from a leaf that was laying on the ground at the local garden center. It is now about a foot tall!

 

  Size: 1-5 feet

Habit: Dense rounded shrub, slow growing

Bloom Season: Small pink flowers November through April.(needs lots of light)

Culture:Full filtered sun, allow soil to dry out in between heavy watering. Fertilize once a month during growing season(May-Oct.)

Utilization:Houseplant in winter, patio or container garden in summer.

Propagation: Removing a leaf and placing the broken end into moist soil will produce a new plant in 6-8 weeks. More info on propagation.

Disease and Insects:Mealy Bug is a huge problem with this plant. Fortunately they are easy to treat. Wipe all infected areas with a cotton swab soaked in rubbing alcohol then wash plant. Or an insecticidal soap spray will cure most Jade plant pests.

Climate Range: Native to Africa, is mainly an indoor plant in the U.S. see map.

Cultivars:Although there are many different plants in the Crassula family there are very few cultivars for C. argentea. I have seen a variegated cultivar that has white and green leaves but I do not know it's name, probably 'variegata' or 'alba'.


Jade Plant w/ small Aloe.

 

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