Everyone knows the money tree, but, as it is called scientifically, not everyone knows. A widespread plant is called Crassula, or Potted Crassula. This is an original plant of Crassula, the species of which are so numerous, the forms are so diverse and bizarre, the palette of colors is amazing that there is an assumption: these are not earthly flowers, but aliens from other planets.
The entertaining world of succulents attracts amateur gardeners, landscape designers and professional florists. Dolphin-like succulents in the form of rabbits, rosebuds - everyone will find suitable pets for growing at home or creating highly artistic landscape compositions. Even a simple contemplation of these original plants brings peace and tranquility in our ultra-fast time.
The unusual shape and color of Crassula is striking.
General description
The genus Crassula has more than 350 species in nature, characterized by a variety of shapes and colors. Many of them belong to leaf succulents of the family Crassulaceae. Succulents (succulentus - succulent) are plants that are able to control their metabolic processes and accumulate water in leaves and stems to protect themselves from the changing weather conditions. The dense glossy surface of the sheet inhibits the evaporation of moisture during drought.
The habitat they chose both tropical and the driest places on planet Earth. They can be found in the south of the Arabian Peninsula, in Madagascar, in large numbers they grow in South Africa. The more extreme the living conditions, the more original their shape, the more fantastic the color and the more exotic the flower.
"Crassula" in Latin means "thick", which corresponds to the appearance: its leaves are fleshy and thick. There are annual and perennial species, grassy and tree forms.
All species are conventionally divided into two groups:
- Stem;
- Leafy.
In indoor floriculture, the most common types are divided into 3 groups:
- Tree-like;
- Ground cover (creeping);
- Column-shaped (spike-shaped).
The tree-like crassula has the appearance of a tree with a trunk and branches. The shape of the leaves, resembling a coin, gave rise to call the fat girl similar words in different countries:
- "Mint tree";
- "Money Tree";
- "Silver Tree";
- "The tree of happiness."
It is believed that it brings prosperity, success, wealth and fortune in financial matters.
This group unites the most popular types of fat women that they have become, thanks to their original appearance and their unpretentiousness. The location of the slightly dissected leaves on the stem is opposite. Small flowers of different shades, collected in inflorescences that differ in shape, the number of petals and stamens in the flower is the same. The triangular shape of the leaves differs from the money tree in the Bush Time Spring.
Miniature trees with a magnificent crown and a thick stem, which are easy to care for, will be a worthy decoration of any interior.
Red Listed Republic of South Africa
A rare species of tree crassula - Crassula umbella (or umbrella), found in a very limited territory of the Republic of South Africa, is even listed in the Red Book of the state. This is a small succulent plant with stems up to 25 cm tall. The leaves are obovate in shape, with one or two pairs of adjacent leaves merging to form an umbrella. Their color is from yellowish green to red. In nature, during summer drought, drops leaves. Flowering is observed in the winter-spring period.
Types of flower Crassula
Crassula umbella (or umbrella)
Ground cover (creeping) Crassula is a herbaceous plant with a high growth rate, covering the surrounding area with a carpet in a short time. It is very different from others, resembling sea coral. Leaves form multifaceted pagons with raised tops; their color depends on the growing conditions. Has great popularity in home floriculture.
To the ground cover is Mushy fat girl, a small shrub with low-creeping tetrahedral shoots. Very small leaves are connected in four even rows, tightly pressed against one another. In bright light they appear a reddish tint.
Spike-like (columnar or columnar)
Crassula got its name because of the original structure. Their erect stems most often have few branches or no branches at all. Leaves, fused in pairs at the base, cover the stem so that it seems as if they were strung on it. Small size, the ability to form dense groups and a peculiar appearance contributed to the conquest of the wide popularity of this group among flower growers.
Crassula broadleaf (rock) is distinguished by great decorativeness - a representative of this group. It has fleshy, branched creeping or erect shoots, they grow up to 60 cm. The leaves are thick oval with a sharp end, the length of the leaf plate is 1-2.5 cm, width is up to 2 cm. The color of the leaf is green with a blue tint and reddish-red stripes. at the top.
Crassula flowers that are formed very rarely at home are white, light pink, yellow and red.
All rossules differ from each other in appearance, but remain constant:
- The opposite arrangement of leaves.
- Small dissection of leaf blades.
- A small amount of flowers collected in paniculate, umbrella-like or racemose inflorescences.
- Ease of reproduction of plants.
Note! The juice of the leaves of all types of Crassula contains arsenic. Using them as food is strictly prohibited. But indoor representatives grow on soils where there is no this toxic element, their juice does not contain arsenic.
Crassula ovate or Crassula ovata
Crassula ovata (crassula ovata) - a representative of the tree-like fatty, is the most common variety of this semi-herbaceous plant among flower gardeners because of its unpretentiousness and shade tolerance. It can be placed in vestibules, poorly lit halls, on window sills of shaded windows.
Crassula Ovata is considered the main plant in the family; today there are more than 300 species and varieties of this succulent.
Like many of them, Crassula Ovata is a native of South Africa. In nature, it reaches a height of 2.5 m. It grows up to 60-100 cm in the room. The ligniferous erect stem is highly branched and acquires a brownish color with age. The shoots are juicy gray-green in color, the old branches of the bark with brownish stripes.
Leaves oppositely arranged, shiny, flat, on a short petiole, retain a lot of moisture. The leaf plate is fleshy, obovate, with sharp, sometimes reddish edges and nectar glands located in them, its width is 2-4 cm, length is 3-9 cm. The lower side of the sheet is reddish.
Unpretentious pretty tree with a dense crown - Crassula Ovata
Flowering occurs in the autumn-winter time. White-pink flowers are small in the form of stars with a sweet aroma.
This fat woman withstands temperatures of 10 ° C and even short-term slight frosts.
Crassula Mix
Crassula Mix is another tree-like representative of the family Crassulaceae, which is easily taken root and is often found in the collections of florists and in many homes of flower gardeners.
A plant with a massive trunk and many branches on which there are succulent leaves in the form of an oval of medium size. The leaf plate is dark green along the edge with a red stripe. Its width is up to 2 cm, its length is up to 4 cm.
If this succulent is not cut, the crown becomes bushy. By pinching the shoots, a tree shape is achieved.
Additional Information. Experts believe that Mix is a batch of plants that consists of several species of different varieties. "Mix" means a "mixture", not a separate kind of rosula.
Crassula is floating
Crassulaceae Crassula belongs to the ground cover species of Crassula. Unlike tree-like crassulas, it does not have a tree-trunk and thick rounded leaves. The plant outwardly resembles a plaun, which gave the name - the crassula is pluvoid. Several creeping fleshy shoots have a tetrahedral shape, their tops stretch upward.
The leaves are thin, oval, with pointed ends, closely adjacent to the trunk, arranged in four rows. The more intense the sunlight, the stronger the reddish hue. Feels good in the shade. The flowers in the shape of small white stars have an inconspicuous appearance.
This ampelous plant will look great in hanging vases and flower pots.
Emerald sophistication of a plum-like fatty
It multiplies very quickly, throwing out a lot of shoots and filling the allotted space. It is planted as a groundcover on a lawn, which serves as a backdrop for flowering bright plants. It grows and feels good along with all representatives of the flora.
Crassula Perforate
Crassula Perforate - a representative of spiked crassulas. An unusual look is given to it by pairwise arranged rhomboid leaves, fused at the base and encircling a rigid, slightly branched stem, reaching 20 cm in height. In girth, the stem with leaves does not exceed 3 cm. Light green with a bluish, silver or olive bloom, sometimes with spots of red, the leaves are arranged crosswise, their length is up to 2 cm.
It blooms usually in the winter. Many small flowers collected in dense inflorescences, often white, sometimes pink and red, are located in the upper part of the shoot. It does not require excessive care, propagated by cuttings from stems. Suitable for growing as an ampel plant.
Elegant leaves of Crassula Perforate
Crassula The Hobbit and Gollum owe their names to the heroes of John Ronald Roel Tolkien's epic novel The Lord of the Rings. They were bred by American breeders after the publication of this book in the 50s of the twentieth century. The progenitors of the hybrids obtained by crossing were Crassula Ovata and Milky. Both hybrids are highly regarded by room designers because of the originality of the crown and the unpretentiousness of care.
Crassula The Hobbit
The fat hobbit is very different from its ancestors in the form of milk leaves that resemble a funnel in appearance: most of the leaves are turned outward and have a fused part from the base to the middle. Her trunks are strong, more branched than the mother plant. It is compact - up to 60 cm tall.
The original hobbit leaves
When growing in a brightly lit area, the leaves acquire a yellow hue, and a reddish-brown border appears. They attract with their decorativeness, are used to create bonsai. There are several forms of variegated (variegated) Hobbit hybrids.
Crassula Gollum
Crassula Gollum is very similar to the Hobbit, but differs in slower growth and leaves folded into a tube with a bell at the upper end with a crimson rim. The size of the tree (up to 50 cm) and the nature of the growth coincide with the ovata rosula. The formation of a bizarre crown occurs independently.
Succulents are a real gift for gardeners who do not have enough free time for constant care and special care. It is for these reasons that they have gained wide popularity and become very fashionable. The many-sided crassula varieties and varieties of which amaze the imagination with the variety of shapes, sizes and colors, has become widespread among florists and amateur gardeners. Caring for a fat woman at home is extremely simple and affordable even for children.
In addition to decorative attractiveness, the plant has a number of useful qualities. The therapeutic value of Crassula is that it has anti-inflammatory, regenerative, antibacterial and antifungal properties.
The beneficial properties of the fat woman are widely used in folk medicine. Crassula leaves are used to get rid of corns, in the treatment of a variety of skin diseases, problems with the gastrointestinal tract and diseases of the throat.
Having become acquainted with information about an unpretentious plant, making sure of the simplicity of cultivation, an experienced and novice growers will want to get an original pet.
