Crassula nudicaulis var. nudicaulis | Devil's horn
€7,95
🌱 Morphology
Perennial, compact, tufted succulent with a very short or practically absent stem and several rosettes that can form small clumps. The leaves grow very close together from a thickened base and are narrowly lanceolate to almost subulate, up to about 5 cm long, fleshy, slightly convex on the underside, and with an acute apex. They can be green, reddish-green, or take on reddish and brown tones under high light and drought. They range from slightly pubescent to almost glabrous surfaces, and sometimes have small marginal cilia.
During flowering, it develops an erect peduncle that can raise the inflorescence up to about 25 cm. The flowers appear grouped in dense cymes on an elongated terminal inflorescence.
🌍 Distribution, habitat and family
Family Crassulaceae. It is a variety widely distributed throughout South Africa, from the Cape provinces to the Free State, KwaZulu-Natal, Lesotho, and the northern provinces. It inhabits stony slopes, rock crevices, and very shallow soils in environments such as the Karoo, renosterveld, fynbos, and mountain grassland formations. It can grow in both exposed and partially sheltered places.
This geographic breadth is important for interpreting its cultivation: it does not come from a single rainfall regime, so its cycle may show a certain plasticity.
❄️ Temperature
USDA Zone 8b–11b.
It withstands minimum temperatures of up to -7°C. It is a relatively cold-hardy Crassula when kept dry and in a very well-draining substrate. Actual hardiness depends on the plant's origin, its hydration state, and the duration of low temperatures. The USDA zone should not be interpreted as an absolute minimum survival temperature.
☀️ Lighting
Intense lighting is recommended, with 15–25 mol·m⁻²·day⁻¹ of DLI PAR as a target during growth.
High light levels promote compact plants and enhance the reddish tones of the leaves. In lower radiation conditions, the stems may elongate and the leaves remain predominantly green.
💧 Growth cycle and watering
Opportunistic. Its wide distribution means that there is no single growth calendar valid for all populations. In cultivation, it can remain active during periods of moderate temperatures, reducing its activity when extreme heat, prolonged drought, or intense cold coincide.
During the active phase, it is recommended to water abundantly and allow the substrate to dry completely before watering again. During periods of extreme temperatures, water supply should be significantly reduced, especially if the plant is not showing growth.
In populations subject to winter rains, growth may intensify during autumn-winter and spring; other origins receive more evenly distributed rainfall and exhibit greater plasticity. Therefore, in cultivation, it is more reliable to adjust watering to the actual state of growth of the plant and the temperature than to impose a fixed schedule.
🌸 Flowering
The inflorescence clearly emerges above the rosette via a long peduncle. The flowers are small, tubular, and generally white or creamy-white, densely grouped. They feature petals fused at the base and the characteristic dorsal appendages typical of the nudicaulis group.
In populations in southern and eastern South Africa, flowering has been documented mainly between September and December; in Spain, it can be observed approximately between March and June, depending on temperatures and the cultivation regime.
🌿 Nutrition
We recommend Desert CHOICE® Succulents, applied during the active growth period and adjusting the frequency to the temperature and the plant's development. Before flowering, it can be supplemented with Desert CHOICE® Flowering to promote the formation of inflorescences.
This is an inimitable xerophyte grown in Madrid in a technological square pot and with the substrate activated with mycorrhizal fungi and biofungicides.
📏 The sizes of our basic collection xerophytes are as follows:
S -> 9cm x 9cm
M-> 14cm x 14 cm
L->16cm x 16 cm
* As this is an online purchase, the appearance of the specimen sent may vary slightly from the product image. The photo description specifies the measurements of the plant, but this may also vary slightly, because it is a living being! Each of the plants at Desert CITY has unique characteristics.
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