Crassula tomentosa var. tomentosa 'Vrendendal' | Velvet Crassula
€7,95
🌱 Morphology
Small biennial or short-lived perennial succulent plant that forms one or several densely leafy rosettes. When flowering, it can reach approximately 10–40 cm in height. The leaves are opposite and appear very close together, initially forming a basal rosette and becoming progressively smaller towards the floral stem. They are fleshy, oblong, oblanceolate to obovate, with a rounded, acute, or truncate apex, and a green to grayish-green surface covered by a characteristic velvety indumentum and ciliated margins. Old leaves remain attached to the stem for quite some time.
🌍 Distribution, habitat, and family
Crassulaceae family. Crassula tomentosa is native to southwestern Namibia and the Cape provinces in South Africa. The name ‘Vredendal’ is used in cultivation for a form associated with the Vredendal area in the Western Cape; there is botanical material of C. tomentosa collected south of this locality. It inhabits dry, stony, or sandy terrain and open slopes of Karoo vegetation.
❄️ Temperature
USDA Zone 9b–11b. It can withstand moderate temperature drops when kept completely dry. During episodes of intense cold, it is recommended to protect it and keep the substrate dry.
☀️ Lighting
Intense lighting is recommended, with a target of 15–25 mol·m⁻²·day⁻¹ of PAR DLI. It tolerates direct sun when properly acclimated. Insufficient lighting can cause leaf elongation and reduce the compactness of the rosette.
💧 Growth cycle and watering
Opportunistic. It originates from regions with scarce and seasonal rainfall in southern Africa, so it alternates growth periods with phases of slowing down related mainly to temperature and water availability. During the active period, it is recommended to water abundantly and let the substrate dry out completely before the next watering. During periods of extreme heat or intense cold, watering should be considerably reduced, avoiding humidity around the roots when the plant has stopped growing.
🌸 Flowering
The inflorescence is terminal and elongated, with numerous dense clusters of small flowers. The flowers are tubular, cream-white to pale yellow, with slightly recurved petals and dark anthers. In Madrid, flowering can be expected approximately between April and July, although the timing may vary according to growing conditions.
🌿 Nutrition
During the active growth period, Desert CHOICE® Succulents is recommended, applied after watering and always respecting the complete drying of the substrate. Before flowering, Desert CHOICE® Flowering can be used.
This is an inimitable xerophyte grown in Madrid in a high-tech square pot with the substrate activated with mycorrhizal fungi.
Plant in 9x9 cm pot
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