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Crassula subaphylla
Ideally, place it in a sunny location.
Water only a few days after the substrate has dried out completely. Reduce watering during winter.
It can tolerate temperatures as low as -1.1 °C for short periods, but it is not frost hardy.
Light pruning in spring encourages a denser, more compact growth habit. The plant responds well to pruning and quickly produces new shoots.
Crassula subaphylla is a shrubby species of Crassula native to South Africa, where it grows on rocky and gravelly slopes in the Western and Northern Cape provinces. Thanks to its fine branching and the ability to develop a small woody trunk, it is also popular for cultivation as a miniature succulent bonsai.
The plant produces slender, upright to lightly branched stems that gradually become woody and can reach up to about 40 cm in height. The leaves are fleshy, smooth, narrowly elongated, and characteristically curve upward, remaining almost parallel to the stems. Under normal conditions they are green, but in full sun and under drier conditions they develop striking bright red coloration.
From spring to early summer, the plant produces small, cream-colored tubular flowers arranged in flat clusters at the tips of the branches. The delicate flowers complement the elegant appearance of the plant without overshadowing its distinctive foliage.
Crassula subaphylla prefers a bright position, ideally with direct sunlight, a very well-draining substrate, and moderate watering, allowing the soil to dry out completely between waterings. It is an easy-to-grow succulent that develops into an attractive shrub with vivid red foliage under the right conditions and is well suited for training as a miniature succulent bonsai.