1 of 1

Write now Article Tools

Page 2 of 2

a fairly obvious to very spectacular (e.g. Aeonium arborium, Crassula falcata, Hylotelephium spectabile and Graptopetalum bellum) terminal or axillary inflorescences.

In colder climates (like England and Canada), the hardier species are generally grown outdoors, often in Alpine rockeries, while the less hardy species are grown as house or greenhouse plants. The species with long trailing stems are good in hanging pots or baskets. Most the more tropical kinds still like a cool winter period (when they usually rest but some grow at this time). In warmer climates, the less hardy kinds can be grown outside but you may have trouble growing the hardier types. If you live somewhere that's very hot all year, your best bet are probably the Kalanchoes. Generally, as long as they're not too hot or too cold, they'll tolerate a wide range of conditions and any fairly standard succulent treatment will do.

Most Crassulaceae grow very easily from cuttings and many will grow from detached leaves or bits of inflorescence. Kalanchoe subgenus Bryophyllum are notorious for growing plantlets on the their leaves or inflorescences, which then drop off and take root all over the place. Growing Crassulaceae from seed (at least on purpose, they often seed themselves all too effectively) is another matter entirely. The seed is dust like and looses viability very quickly. The seedlings are minute and seem to have a high mortality rate. The best method seems to be to put them in a pot with peat based compost and open the polythene bag (if you have one) as soon as they germinate.

Colder climate types include: Aizopsis, Hylotelephium, Jovibarba, Orostachys, Petrosedum, Phedimus, Rhodiola (Rose root), Rossularia, Sempervivum (house leeks or hens and chicks, and cobweb plants) and Umbilicus.

Warmer climate types include: Adromiscus, Aeonium (winter growing), Cotyledon, Crassula (jade plant and propeller plant), Echeveria, Graptopetalum (ghost plant), Kalanchoe (flaming Katy and Devil's backbone), Pachyphytum (sugar almond plant) and Tylecodon (weird, winter growing caudiciforms, stem succulents and pachycauls).

Sedum has warm climate (burros tails and jelly bean plant) and cold climate species (stonecrop).

If you want to try growing some of these plants, it's easy enough to find a garden centre or supermarket selling some and you can normally scrounge cuttings. If you wish to collect the rarer kinds like Tylecodon, Dudleya or rare species of Crassula, Echeveria, Rossularia etc. or even named varieties of Sempervivum, things get more challenging and it depends where you live.

Learn more about this author, Richard Pearman.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.

• << previous page
• 1
• 2

Add your voice

Know something about Jade plants and House Leeks - the Crassulaceae?
We want to hear your view. Write now!