Crassula nealeana are wonderful plants native to South Africa. They are known as string of buttons or necklace vine in common.
In addition to that, stacked crassula and pagoda plant are a couple of other names which you could use to call them in common. Nobody can resist these plants as they would look amazing despite where you grow them.
The scientific names of these plants are crassula perforate and Crassula nealeana. They would be great picks for indoors and outdoors.
Crassula nealeana are lovely plants which anybody would want to have and if you ensure that you fulfill its main growth requirements , they will flourish well.
This article is about how you should take care of them properly, how you could multiply them etc.
How do I identify Crassula nealeana?
If I elaborate on the Crassula nealeana plant super awesome leaves first, they would be pale bluish light green in color. Moreover, they would carry rosy, pink reddish pink edges as well.
When you expose them to sufficient sunlight, the color would intensify and become more vibrant. You could spot them growing straight when they are young.
Next, they would sprawl and tend to grow in a spilling manner when they further mature. Literally they can rise to 01 feet ( 30 cm ) in length.
The leaves would form on the stem in a stacking manner. Crassula nealeana plants are a fast-growing set of succulents.
Crassula nealeana leaves would tend to take a triangular shape. They would be short and broadly ovate in shape too.
Crassula nealeana leaves would be green, gray in color. Their attractive leaved edges make them look extra special.
The leaves edges would be pink as aforesaid. Further chances are that they may carry small dots in pink and in white on the leaves edges.
Crassula nealeana plants would form in colonies. In fact, they are called scrambling as they can grow over bushes when they colonize.
Size of the plant
Crassula nealeana plants would rise to 18 inches ( 45 cm) when they grow to their best.
Growth rate
Crassula nealeana plants are a fast growing set of plants.
One look care guide
| Botanical Name | Crassula nealeana |
| Common Name | String of buttons Necklace vine Stacked crassula Pagoda plant |
| Plant Type | Succulent |
| Mature Size | 18 inches ( 45 cm) in height |
| Sun Exposure | Full sunlight to partial shade |
| Soil Type | Well-draining / sandy |
| Soil pH | Adaptable |
| Flower Color | White and yellow |
| Hardiness Zones | USDA hardiness zones 9a (Minimum 20° F | -6.7° C). |
| Native Area | South Africa |
| Toxicity | Non Toxic |
| Average price | 10 USD |
How do you take care of Crassula nealeana?
Light Requirement
If we first consider the indoor grown Crassula nealeana plants , you need to ensure that you grow them in the brightest sunny spot at your home.
To be precise, they want to have sunlight for about 4-6 hours on a daily basis for their best growth. If you find it challenging to provide sufficient sunlight, chances are that they would become etiolated and stretched.
Literally if they cannot absorb sufficient sunlight, they would try to reach the best possible light source and stretch towards that. Consequently, they would become etiolated and stretched.
Once they go through this condition, it would lead to a weak stem and poor growth as well. Hence you need to act at the very moment you spot them becoming etiolated.
Literally you need to shift the plants to a bright sunny spot. You may also bring them outdoors for some time too.
Moreover, you may also consider using grow lights to supplement the light if you find it difficult to provide natural sunlight. If you are someone who lives in long dark winters, grow lights would be a good investment.
If you wish to grow them outdoors, you need to still opt for a spot where they can fulfill their light requirement.
These plants are tolerant of both full sunlight as well as filtered sunlight. On the other hand, if you have kept these plants indoors and want to shift them outdoors, you need to do it gradually where you will allow the plants to slowly get accustomed to the outdoor sunlight Unless it would traumatize and result in scorch in the plants.
Having said that, heat waves can also result in scorches in the plants even after you accustomed them to full sunlight. The more you expose them to sunlight, the more you can see the vibrant pink color of their leaf’s edges.
Temperature and humidity
A temperature of 56 degrees Fahrenheit ( 18 degrees Celsius) – 70 degrees Fahrenheit ( 21 degrees Celsius) would be ideal for the optimal growth of the Crassula nealeana plants.
They are tolerant of mild frost for a shorter period. On the other hand, If you live in USDA zones 9a , they would be great picks for outdoor gardening.
Having said that, if you go through extreme winter conditions, I recommend growing them indoors in containers.
That will safeguard the plants from frost. You may still keep them outdoors and protect them from frost clothes if you do not wish to bring them indoors. Alternatively, you may keep them in mini greenhouses also.
Is it cold hardy?
USDA Hardiness Zone
Crassula nealeana plants prefer to grow in USDA hardiness zones 9a (Minimum 20° F | -6.7° C).
Watering Requirement
Watering the Crassula nealeana plants should be done depending on where you live. It is important that you water them moderately despite the fact that they are used to grow in drought tolerant areas.
There is no watering schedule that you need to stick to when watering them. All you need to assure is that you water them in sufficient levels and refrain from over watering.
You can water them once every 7-10 days during summer. Having said that, if the plants are experiencing a heat wave, you need to increase watering them.
Once the temperature decreases, you can minimize watering them to once every other week. You can just rely on rainwater during winter.
Having said that, if there is no rainfall taking place, you need to water them once every two to three weeks.
If the plants are exposed to excessive humidity, you need to water them less. On the other hand, if you have kept them indoors, you can water them lightly as they do not get intense sunlight when compared to the plants grown outdoors.
It would be disastrous If you end up over watering the plants which are running short of sunlight.
If you are unsure whether you need to water the plants or not, you should always check the moisture of the soil mix.
Ideally if you find out their top layer of the soil is dry, you can commence watering them. If you think, the soil is moist, you need to wait for two more days and then commence watering them.
Keep in mind that there will be less repercussions from under watering when compared to over watering.Observe the Crassula nealeana plants well and then water them accordingly.
Soil Requirement Type / pH
Crassula nealeana plants will grow well if you provide a substrate which has an excellent draining. You may use a cactus potting mix and add some perlite so that it will enhance the draining.
You can add them at a ratio of 2:1 respectively. You may also use sandy soil instead of perlite.They are adaptable when it comes to the right ph. Levels.
Pot size Potting and Repotting
A pot which has ample draining would be beneficial for the healthy growth of the Crassula nealeana plants. When it comes to repotting the Crassula nealeana plants, I do not recommend doing it often.
If you wish to repot them, ensure that you do it in warmer weather.
Where to Plant
Crassula nealeana plants are cold hardy plants. Hence if you live somewhere where the temperature drops to 20 degrees Fahrenheit ( -6.7 degrees Celsius), best is to grow them in a pot and bring them indoors once the temperature decreases.
Fertilizer and time of year
I suggest feeding the degrees with a diluted fertilizer. You could feed them once a week. Besides a diluted fertilizer, you may use a balanced 20-20-20 fertilizer as well.
Best is to apply a fertilizer which has a low Nitrogen component to feed the young Crassula nealeana plants.
Flower
Crassula nealeana plants bloom with white and yellow flowers. They would usually form in clusters, Having said that, there could be some Crassula nealeana plants which will not bloom too.
Environmental factors would affect them to produce flowers. However the plants which are at least three years old would produce flowers.
To elaborate further on this, it is vital that they get plenty of sunlight , proper temperatures and fertilizers to produce flowers. In addition to that they need to go through an overwintering period to produce flowers as well.
Dormancy
Toxicity
There are not many records available to elaborate on the toxicity of the Crassula nealeana plants.
Common bugs and illnesses
Brown leaves
The exposure for intense sunlight could result in brown leaves of the Crassula nealeana plants.
Although they can tolerate full sunlight, the drastic changes in sunlight could result in brown leaves of the Crassula nealeana plants.
It would not bring a fatal impact on the plants though. Having said that , the exposure to sunlight for prolonged periods could result in the deaths of the plants.
If you spot that your Crassula nealeana plants are getting sunburnt, you need to bring them to a shadier place or even place them under taller plants.
Shriveled leaves
Under watering could result in shriveled leaves. You could spot them shriveled and withered.
Further when you try to touch them, you will feel their leaves are flat and deflated too. As such if you come across these symptoms, you need to resume watering them.
Mushy Brown Leaves
Over watering is what could result in mushy brown leaves of the Crassula nealeana plants. When you supply excess water, it would make them look unwell.
Further their leaves will be soft and mushy too. To treat them, you need to allow the soil to wither first. That will allow the plants to recover.
If the soil mix is not well draining, change the substrate which has excellent drainage. if you keep exposing them to soggy soil, it would lead to root rot. If the root rot has significantly spread , best would be propagating the healthy plant parts.
Crassula nealeana benefits
Crassula nealeana plants could be handy as border plants as well as ground covers. In addition to that they are used for xeriscape landscapes too. Moreover, they would be great picks for hanging baskets in terrariums as well.
How to propagate Crassula nealeana
If you are looking for an easy way of propagating the Crassula nealeana plants, you can consider using the stem cutting method.
Having said that you may use the leaf cuttings also to propagate the Crassula nealeana plants. If you wish to propagate them by leaf cuttings, you need to choose the entire leaf for the process.
Do not use damaged leaves as then you will not succeed with the propagation. deally choose a healthy leaf and lay it down in a well-draining soil mix. Stay patient until they produce roots.
However, many people opt to use the stem cutting method as you will have a higher successful rate with that.
To start off, you need to first obtain a stem cutting and allow it to wither for a couple of days. They will wither within a couple of days as their stems are slender.
Further keep in mind to use healthy looking stems for this process and refrain from using dehydrated stems.
Once they are dry, you can dip them in a rooting hormone if you wish to have quick results of the propagation process.
Moreover, it will give you guaranteed results as well. When the cuttings are dry and if they have developed callous, you may plant them in a soil mix which has excellent drainage.
Do not leave them exposed to direct sunlight and whenever their soil is dry, you can mist them lightly.
You could spot them forming roots during a couple of weeks’ time. Further it would take another four more weeks to produce new growths.
When they have developed roots vigorously, you can start watering them instead of misting them. Once the plant matures, you can increase the exposure for sunlight.
Conclusion
To sum up, Crassula nealeana plants are worth having plants and if you ensure that you look after them well, they will grow to their best.
I hope this article helped you to learn on how to grow them well , how to propagate them and how to overcome the issues they may come across.
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