Crassula multicava f. variegata | Variegated fairy crassula
€7,95
🌱 Morphology
Herbaceous or slightly subshrubby succulent, fast-growing, highly branched, and decumbent or creeping in habit, which can reach about 30 cm in height and form dense masses. The stems root easily at the nodes. The leaves are opposite, shortly petiolate, fleshy and relatively large, 2–7 cm, broadly elliptical, oblong or ovate in shape, with a rounded or slightly emarginate apex. They present numerous visible dots or hydathodes, responsible for the species' characteristic appearance. In the variegated form, the leaf blade combines green with creamy-yellow zones, especially towards the margin; with intense lighting, pinkish or reddish tones may appear, especially at the edges.
🌍 Distribution, habitat, and family
Family Crassulaceae. It is a horticultural form of Crassula multicava, a species native to southern South Africa, from the Cape provinces to KwaZulu-Natal. In nature, it grows on forest margins, river and stream banks, and coastal and subtropical thickets, generally in relatively deep soils with organic matter, and tolerates partial shade conditions. The variegated form does not have an independent natural distribution.
❄️ Temperature — USDA Zone 9b–11b
It is a Crassula of subtropical climate and more sensitive to intense cold than many South African species from arid environments. It can withstand occasional drops when dry and acclimated, but it is recommended to protect it from frost and avoid the combination of low temperatures and damp substrate.
☀️ Lighting
Indicative target of 10–18 mol·m⁻²·day⁻¹ of DLI PAR. It tolerates lower lighting (partial shade) than Crassulas from open environments and can grow in partial shade or filtered light. Excessively low lighting reduces the intensity of the variegation and can promote looser growth; high lighting, though not necessarily intense sun all day, encourages pink coloration of the margins. Progressive acclimation to direct sun is recommended.
💧 Growth cycle and irrigation
Opportunistic. Its origin in subtropical and relatively humid environments makes its water strategy different from that of Crassulas from desert zones. It can maintain activity for a good part of the year if it has moderate temperatures and sufficient light. It is recommended to perform abundant waterings, allowing the substrate to dry completely before watering again, avoiding both waterlogging and excessively prolonged drought. During extreme heat, it may slow down; in winter, if temperatures drop, watering should be reduced considerably.
🌸 Flowering
It produces branched thyrsi that rise above the foliage and gather numerous small, star-shaped flowers, white to pinkish-white in color, with the buds generally more intensely pink or reddish. In Spain, flowering can be expected approximately between February and June, depending on temperature and cultivation conditions.
🌿 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 xerophytic plant grown in Madrid in a high-tech square pot with the substrate activated with mycorrhizal fungi.
Plant in a 9x9cm pot
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