About Crassula arborescens (Mill.) Willd.
Crassula arborescens (Mill.) Willd. is a succulent shrub that reaches a mature height of 2 to 4 feet, or 0.6 to 1.2 meters. It grows from a single main trunk that can grow up to 6 centimeters in diameter. Its branches are thickened and colored gray-green; leaf-bearing shoots measure 7 to 10 millimeters in diameter. Unlike the related species Crassula ovata, more commonly known as jade, C. arborescens has rounded gray leaves with red edges, shaped like silver dollars or cookies. Older shoots develop yellowish-brown peeling bark that separates into individual sections at the nodes. The species' flat leaves range from obovate to obovate-round, measuring 3.2 to 7 centimeters long and 2.3 to 4.2 centimeters wide. Leaves are glaucous, covered in a powdery coating, and marked with clearly visible water gaps. Leaf edges are reddish, and leaf bases are wedge-shaped. This species is native to the South African provinces of Western Cape, Eastern Cape, and southern KwaZulu-Natal, where it grows on dry rocky surfaces in the Succulent Karoo. It is cultivated as an ornamental plant, used in drought-tolerant succulent gardens and container gardens. It can also be grown indoors as a houseplant, as long as it receives full light exposure from a sunny window or grow light to prevent etiolation.
