Crassula streyiPondo Cliff Crassula

Crassula streyi is a low succulent from the shaded forest cliffs of Pondoland, and it breaks the usual succulent rule: it wants shade rather than sun. The rounded fleshy leaves are glossy dark green above and a deep maroon-purple beneath, so a planted mass shifts colour as the light moves across it.

Plants stay under half a metre and spread slowly into a dense mat, which makes them useful in shaded planters and courtyard beds where a conventional groundcover would be too coarse.

Specifications

• Height0.2 to 0.4 metres
• Width0.3 to 0.5 metres, spreading slowly
• Native toSouth Africa, on the forested coastal cliffs of Pondoland in KwaZulu-Natal
• FoliageRounded, fleshy, glossy dark green leaves with deep maroon-purple undersides; evergreen
• Growth rateSlow

Conditions

• SoilRequires sharply drained gritty or sandy soils with some organic matter
• LightPartial shade to bright indirect light; scorches in full sun
• WaterLow to moderate; allow the medium to dry between waterings
• ClimateThrives in frost-free subtropical and interior conditions

Additional Features

• UsesShaded planters, courtyard groundlayers, interior containers and rockery pockets out of direct sun
• SpacingPlant 0.25 to 0.3 metres apart for a closed mat
• Low MaintenanceNeeds very little beyond removing damaged leaves and occasional division
• Pest ResistanceGenerally sound; mealybug appears only in still, humid air
• Drought ToleranceStores water in the leaves and tolerates missed irrigation cycles
• FormLow, dense, spreading mat with a strong two-tone leaf effect

The Pondo Cliff Crassula is the succulent to reach for when the brief calls for shade rather than sun.