Distribution and habitat: Crassula ovata is native to South Africa where it grows on rocky hillsides under the blazing sun. Rain there is infrequent and usually occurs during the winter months. Consequently, Crassula ovata plants flower during the late winter.
In addition with its adaptation of reducing the water loss, having succulent water-storing stems, leaves and swollen roots that give it the ability to survive droughts, Crassula ovata can also survive being grazed, trodden on or knocked over, as it is able to root from any piece of stem or even from a single leaf.
Description: Crassula ovata is a large well-branched, compact, rounded, evergreen shrub 1-3m (3-10 feet) tall with glossy, dark grey-green, oval, succulent leaves and rounded heads of pink flowers in winter-spring. The stem is stout and gnarled and gives the impression of great age and its branches are also short and stubby, but well-proportioned. Branches are succulent, grey-green in colour and in older specimens the bark peels in horizontal brownish strips. Trunks to 15cm (6 inch) in diameter can develop on older plants.
The leaves are 3-9cm (1-3.5 inch) long and 2-4cm (0.8-1.5 inch) wide, egg-shaped to elliptic, often with a red margin and a somewhat pointed end. They are in opposite pairs, the one pair arranged at right angles to the next, and they are clustered towards the ends of the branches, but they may grow for many years without blooming. When flowers appear, the bush is covered in masses of sweetly scented, pretty pale-pink, star-shaped flowers in tight rounded bunches during the cool winter months. The flowers develop into small capsules, each holding many tiny seeds.
Houseplant care: Crassula ovata plants make an ideal house plant as they can cope with dry conditions and can survive being neglected.
Cleanliness is important for the health and good appearance of the plant. All dead leaves and stems should be removed. Clean the leaves of the plant monthly using room temperature water. Do not use leaf shiners or oils to clean the leaves of Crassula ovata.
Light: Crassula ovata plants need bright light with some direct sun light. A sunny windowsill will be an ideal position for these plants. They will not flower without sunlight and inadequate light will cause developing spindly growth.
Temperature: Crassula ovata plants grow well in warm position during the active growing period, but they need cool temperatures during winter rest period when they should not be subjected to temperatures above 12°C (54°F) and they can tolerate temperatures down to 7°C (45°F).
Give ventilation in summer and stand outside when conditions are favourable for Crassula ovataplants – enough hot and sunny.
Watering: Water regularly and thoroughly during the spring and summer, but avoid overwatering; allow two-thirds of the potting mixture to dry out in between waterings. Little and often is the watering rule for these plants. Keep on the dry side in winter, particularly when conditions are cool; the leaves will have stored a good deal of the previous summer moisture and will be in little danger of suffering from dehydration.
Feeding: Give very week liquid fertiliser once a fortnight during the spring and summer. Do not fertilise during the rest period.
Potting and repotting: Use a mixture of three parts of soil based potting mixture to one part coarse sand or perlite. Crassula ovata should be moved into pots one size larger only once every two years. It will require a maximum pot or small tub size of 20 or 25cm (8-10 inch). At this point, top-dress the plant each spring with fresh potting mixture.
Shallow pots are best for these plants. These plants tend to have shallow root systems and often become top heavy. In such cases, use heavy clay pots.
To maintain a plant at about the same size, treat in a similar way to a bonsai tree. Prune the roots when re-potting into the same size pot and cut back the stems to maintain a pleasing shape. This will help to develop a thick main trunk. Prune back to just above the rings on the stems where the old leaves were located. New leaves will grow from these locations.
Gardening: Crassula ovata is easy plant to grow. It comes from a frost-free environment, but it should tolerate a winter minimum of -1° C (30°F) when it is planted in ground. However, it is best protected from frost to prevent the flowers from being damaged.