Crassula intermedia | Crassula intermedia
€7,95
🌱 Morphology
Small perennial succulent that forms from a few to numerous rosettes and reaches approximately 20 cm in height during flowering. The leaves are arranged in four very tight rows around the stem, with old leaves remaining attached. They are obovate to almost orbicular, approximately 10–30 × 10–30 mm, relatively flat and not very fleshy, and green to dark green in color. The apex is rounded, usually with a small mucro, and the margin features a dense row of recurved cilia. A very striking feature is its plasticity: in dry conditions, the leaves remain closely appressed and recurved, whereas with greater water availability and during flowering, they separate to form a more open, cup-like rosette.
🌍 Distribution, habitat, and family
Family Crassulaceae. It is endemic to South Africa and has a very restricted distribution in the Eastern Cape, from Kenton-on-Sea towards Suurberg and north to Peddie, especially in the vicinity of the lower Fish River. It lives in forest and dense scrub, often in the shade of trees and shrubs and also on rock faces. Its habitat, therefore, is considerably more shaded and humid than that of many Karoo Crassulas.
❄️ Temperature — USDA Zone 9b–11b
It tolerates cool temperatures when the substrate remains well-drained, but its potential cold resistance should not be confused with an adaptation to humid conditions during winter. It is recommended to protect it from prolonged frosts and to keep the substrate dry when temperatures are low.
☀️ Lighting
Target guidance of 10–18 mol·m⁻²·day⁻¹ of DLI PAR. In the wild, it grows mainly under the protection of trees and shrubs, so it does not need the light intensity of Crassulas adapted to full sun. Very intense lighting, especially combined with heat and dryness, can cause stress and a darker coloration. Abundant filtered light or mild sun is recommended, with progressive acclimatization.
💧 Growth cycle and watering
Summer dormancy. Its habitat in the Eastern Cape presents a different regime than the arid regions of the western Cape. Growth is favored by moderate temperatures and water availability, watering abundantly and letting the substrate dry out completely before the next watering. During periods of extreme heat, growth may slow down and it is advisable to space out watering; in winter, if temperatures are low, water should be significantly reduced. The position of the leaves is a good indicator: when there is sufficient hydration, they tend to separate and adopt a more erect, cup-shaped arrangement; when dry, they move closer to the stem and become recurved.
🌸 Flowering
The inflorescence is an elongated thyrse, clearly raised above the rosette by a peduncle of approximately 4–15 cm. It produces dense clusters of sessile flowers. The corolla is tubular, white and frequently tinged with red, with obovate petals of about 2–2.5 mm and yellow anthers. The styles are characteristically recurved, a trait it shares with Crassula socialis and which is exceptional within the genus. In Spain, flowering can be expected approximately between February and April.
🌿 Nutrition
During the active period, Desert CHOICE® Succulents is recommended, applied after watering and with the substrate previously hydrated. Before flowering, it can be supplemented with Desert CHOICE® Flowering.
This is an inimitable xerophyte grown in Madrid in a high-tech square pot and with the substrate activated with mycorrhizal fungi.
9x9cm pot
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