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Crassula pubescens ssp. radicans
The plant likes sunny places but can handle partial shade.
Always water a few days after the substrate has dried out. In winter, limit watering.
It can tolerate -3.9 °C in the short term. However, the plant is not hardy.
If grown correctly, the leaves will turn a deep red colour.
Crassula pubescens ssp. radicans, also known as Red Carpet, is a succulent plant, often referred to as Crassula radicans. The epithet 'radicans' means rooting and refers to the plant's ability to form new roots easily.
This plant grows in sheltered valleys in the Eastern Cape, mainly between Port Elizabeth and King William's Town. Its leaves are obovate in shape, up to 2 cm long and may be smooth or finely hairy. In full sun they turn a deep red colour, while when grown in shade they turn green. Crassula pubescens ssp. radicans forms low shrubs up to 15 cm tall.
It produces small, white flowers. They usually appear in late winter and spring in dense, round to flat clusters on stalks. They usually grow several centimetres above the leaves.
To achieve the rich red colour, I recommend giving the plant plenty of light and alternating night and day temperatures. Crassula pubescens ssp. radicans is undemanding and tolerates poor conditions. It is often used to create colourful plantings together with other succulent species. It is popular with growers who like to experiment, thanks to its unpretentiousness, hardiness and excellent response to being shaped into trees.