Crassula rupestris
Buttons on a string
Family CrassulaceaeAlso called Concertina plant, Bead vine, Necklace vine, Rosary vine
About
Crassula rupestris, buttons on a string, is a branching succulent shrub from Namibia and South Africa's Cape provinces that holds the RHS Award of Garden Merit.
Care at a glance
- Pet safety
- Not recorded. We have no source on whether this plant is safe for cats, dogs or other pets — that is not the same as safe. Keep it out of reach until you have checked.
- People
- Not recorded.
- Light
- Full sun year-round, with shade during the hottest hours of summer.
- Water
- Water often in summer; almost stop in winter.
- Temperature
- Best kept above 5–10 °C; never below −4 °C.
- Soil
- Well-drained soil with plenty of sand.
- Propagation
- Seed or cuttings.
- Mature size
- Up to 60 cm tall.
- Hardiness
- USDA zones 9b–12.
Field notes
Morphology
A rounded, heavily branched shrub up to 60 cm tall with fibrous roots. Thin green shoots turn grey-brown with peeling bark as they age. Broadly egg-shaped, powdery grey-green leaves 13–18 mm long are fused in opposite pairs and edged red; the whole plant reddens in intense sun. 'Springtime' is a cultivar.
Distribution & habitat
Native to Namibia and the Cape Provinces of South Africa.
Cultivation notes
Grow in well-drained, sandy soil in full sun, with shade in the hottest hours of summer. Water often in summer and almost not at all in winter. It is rated for USDA zones 9b–12; ideally keep it above 5–10 °C and never below −4 °C. Propagate by seed or cuttings.
Habitat
- Altitude
- Not recorded
- Altitude class
- —
- Native to
- Namibia, South Africa
Cultivation
- Difficulty
- Not recorded
- Temperature
- Best kept above 5–10 °C; never below −4 °C.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
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