Crassula ericoides – Indoor Plants

Crassula ericoides is an upright, spreading perennial shrub up to 10 inches high, often much-branched towards the apex. Leaves are green, ovate or ovate-lanceolate, up to 4 mm long and 2 mm wide. Flowers are white and star-shaped.

Scientific Name: Crassula ericoides
Synonyms: Crassula ericoides subsp. ericoides, Crassula furcata, Crassula jacobseniana, Creusa ericoides.
Common Names: Large Whipcord

How to grow and maintain Crassula ericoides:

Light:
It thrives best in full sun to partial shade. It cannot survive extreme hot conditions and would require a shade.

Soil:
It grows best in a well-drained, loamy or sandy soil. The soil should be slightly acidic in nature.

Water:
Water your plant regularly during the growing season and always keep the soil evenly moist but not soggy. You can allow the topsoil to become slightly dry between each watering. Reduce watering during the winter months.

Temperature:
It requires a minimum temperature of about 5°C, but will take a light frost and is hardy down to -5° C for short periods if it is in dry soil. The plant may be kept indoors throughout the year at a minimum winter temperature of 10°C not exceeding 18°C. In summer, the temperature will rise higher, but as this is accompanied by better light it does not matter. In colder climates plant this in a container, so it can be moved into a protected area when cold.

Fertilizer:
Fertilize once a month with a dilute solution of a low balanced fertilizer like a 15-15-15 or lower in summer when temperatures are warm and light is high. Don’t fertilize in winter.

Re-Potting:
Re-pot your plant during summer, but only when the plant outgrows the pot. Before repotting expel the old soil and add some fertilizers in the new soil to give a fuller growth.

Propagation:
It can be easily propagated by division, offsets or leaf cuttings. Also propagated from a single leaf, sprout leaves by placing them into a succulent or cacti mix, then covering the dish until they sprout.

Pests and Diseases:
It has no serious pest or disease problems. But they are susceptible to mealy bugs, aphids, and fungal diseases.