Saturday 3 February 2018

Crassula falcata miniatum

I believe this plant to be Crassula perfoliata var. falcata or var.minor, but my plant looks different to the ones I have seen on the internet.

It has the interesting sickle shaped grey leaves but after about 8cm tumbles down and just keeps growing down, with many side shoots. For me it has never flowered but even so, the very grey leaves and their sickleshape are worth growing this plant for.  I am putting a link here to Bruce Brethauer's article on this plant at The Central Ohio Cactus and Succulent Society as it gives very good guidelines on cultivation etc.  Having read the article I shall adopt cooler winter time temperatures with as much light as possible, with even more sunshine during the summer months.  I also now understand that they may go into a summer dormancy when watering ought to be reduced.



Again it is only now that I write about this plant for the first time.  I have or rather had two plant pots with Crassula falcata.  I have had them a number of years.  I used to have them in the conservatory, but thought it was too cool and had them either side of the bay window on the windowsill.  It is only because they are in heavy clay pots within a ceramic pot outer that the weight of the plant does not overbalance.

Yesterday I found one half  of one of the plants on the floor.  Unlike the plant in the picture above, it had a little 'overwatering' injury a few years ago, with a blackened stem.  It continued growing but I think the weight of the growth was so great that it finally fractured at this point.


Here is the broken stem from which I started to prepare some new cuttings.  

I have taken some today for one of the stall holders at Wells Market who is a bit of succulent lover.., along with some bulbs from the Ledebouria, and Crassula ovata gollum. I have again put a link to some photographs of the Ledebouria taken by Bruce Brethauer on flick.

I shall wait a day or two and pot them up in some sandy compost. I wonder whether fellow blogger Daisy Debs will have this plant and comment. If you don't have this one Daisy, and would like a piece, then just ask. If anyone else reads this post, and has anything to add on their views as to what this plant is etc...comments would be very welcome.

6 comments:

  1. Yes I have it ! Lovely red flowers above those silvery grey leaves ( like dolphins leaping ) .
    These succulents are great for easy propagation , It will have benefited your plant in taking cuttings and a good general tidy up too .
    Hope you are keeping well , the primulas that you gave me are flowering ! :) x

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    1. Thanks for your guidance on this one Daisy Debs. Hope it will flower for me at least next year if not this one. So pleased the primulas are giving you some colour...my they are early!

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  2. This looks very similar to what we call the money tree plant, although the leaves are more rounded on ours. Unfortunately money doesn’t grow on it!

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    1. It's the crassula gollum which is similar to the money tree...this one has quite a different structure and leaf arrangement. Collecting succulents, propagating and sharing fun.

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  3. I killed the first of these that I tried (by overwatering, is my guess). The one I have now is beginning to behave as you describe. It was a surprise to me as I had only seen them as elegant and spare. Plants are full of surprises, aren't they?

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    1. You are right Ricki. I think the variety marvellous. It's so easy, with time and patience to learn how to get the best out of them....but then there are often some mishpas along the way.

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