Crassula tetragona subsp. tetragona | Miniature pine tree
€7,95
🌱 Morphology
Mini pine. Small perennial succulent, with an erect or prostrate habit with upward-curving stem tips, reaching approximately 10–20 cm in height. It is relatively sparsely branched and can develop a slightly woody base with age.
The stems are fleshy, glabrous, green when young, and brown with dark bark as they age. The leaves are arranged in opposite and decussate pairs, forming four very characteristic rows. They are ascending to spreading, narrowly subulate, slightly flattened, approximately 10–25 × 2–3 mm, with an acute and frequently reddish apex.
Old leaves remain attached to the stems, contributing to the compact and characteristic appearance of this small Crassula. The four-row arrangement is responsible for the epithet tetragona.
🌍 Distribution, habitat, and family
It is a subspecies endemic to South Africa, belonging to the Crassulaceae family. Its distribution is concentrated in the southwest of the Cape Provinces, from Gifberg to the vicinity of Uniondale, with isolated populations around Springbok and Kamiesberg, in the Northern and Western Cape.
It grows on stony and gravelly slopes, among xerophytic vegetation and in Succulent Karoo environments, renosterveld, and other dry Cape formations. It is frequently found among rocks and small shrubs, in soils with very rapid drainage.
❄️ Temperature — USDA Zone 9b–11b
Its distribution includes arid areas of the Cape with significant temperature fluctuations. It can withstand low temperatures when kept dry, but it is recommended to protect it from intense and prolonged frosts, especially if the substrate is damp.
☀️ Lighting
It is a plant adapted to open, dry environments and requires high lighting to maintain compact stems, closely spaced leaves, and the reddish coloration of the apices.
Indicative DLI PAR: 15–25 mol·m⁻²·day⁻¹.
It tolerates direct sun when properly acclimated. In the Mediterranean summer, especially with very high temperatures, it may be advisable to protect it during hours of peak radiation if grown under cover.
💧 Growth cycle and watering
Summer dormancy. The subspecies originates primarily from the southwest Cape, within a region of predominantly winter rainfall, so it should not be treated as a summer-growing Crassula.
Vegetative activity is favored during cool and moderate periods, while during the summer, when temperatures rise considerably and water availability decreases, watering should be reduced and it may enter a phase of marked slowing.
During active growth, it is recommended to water abundantly and allow the substrate to dry completely before watering again. During episodes of intense heat, watering should be spaced out considerably. In cold temperatures, the substrate should be kept dry for prolonged periods.
It is not advisable to establish a rigid schedule: the actual temperature and the plant's activity should determine the frequency of watering.
🌸 Flowering
It develops a long peduncle with two or three pairs of small bracts that elevates a flat and densely clustered terminal inflorescence.
The flowers are small, tubular, cream to white in color, with petals up to about 2 mm, slightly recurved, and with a characteristic dorsal line. The anthers are brown.
In Spain, depending on temperature and cultivation regime, flowering may shift approximately to September-November.
🌿 Nutrition
During active growth periods, Desert CHOICE® Succulents is recommended, applied after watering and with the substrate previously moistened. Before flowering, it can be supplemented with Desert CHOICE® Flowering.
This is an inimitable xerophyte grown in Madrid in a technological square pot and with the substrate activated with mycorrhizal fungi and biofungicides.
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