Calico Kitten Crassula

Calico Kitten Crassula Care

Crassula marginalis rubra variegata

What is the plant

A warm-colored undemanding hanging plant that requires your love and care. This delicate succulent is considered uncommon and is often a collector’s preference.

A native of South Africa, this succulent is known for being a slow grower and requiring a lot of care and nurturing since it is prone to breakage. When in the wild, it spreads across the ground and rocky slopes, creating a unique colorful landscape in otherwise arid environments.

Calico Kitten Crassula has delicate stems and heart-shaped leaves ranging from deep purple to pink, green, pale yellow, all the way up to off-white. It blooms by the end of spring, almost the beginning of summer, and it produces small white flowers. Keep in mind this plant is toxic for pets when ingested, so keep it out of their reach.

humidity

Dry

lighting

Full Sun

temperature

20°C - 25°C

hardiness zone

9a - 11

difficulty

Easy

How to Care for the Plant

Water
Calico Kitten Crassula needs very little water since overwatering can lead to fungal infections. When watering, allow the soil to be fully dry and the water to drain completely. An ideal method is to let the plant absorb the water through the drainage holes but make sure it doesn’t sit in water for too long.
Pruning
Pruning is not necessary as it grows to a maximum height of 6 inches (15 cm).
Fertilizer
Fertilize it with cactus liquid fertilizer twice during spring.

Disease diagnosis

Check your plant’s health

Ease your plant care routine with PlantIn's personalized system.

Sunlight
A lover of light, this plant requires full to partial sun, so choose a spot that gets around 6 hours of sunlight. Insufficient sunlight will lead to shriveling and death so pay attention to signs like wilting. If necessary, it could be supplemented with a glowing light. Intense direct sunlight will cause death due to heat.
Soil
It does best in porous, well-drained soil, like a cactus potting mix, with perlite or coarse sand.
Propagation
Calico Kitten Crassula propagates through stem cuttings and leaves. The cuttings should come from a robust, healthy plant and will take about two weeks to grow roots after planting. The leaves should be placed in a dish with soil and covered until they sprout and then planted.

Ease your plant care routine with PlantIn's personalized system.

Temperature
The ideal temperature range is between 59-77 ºF (15-25ºC), so try to keep it in a warm room with a constant temperature. It doesn’t like the cold and won’t survive frost and low temperatures.
Container
Any container with drainage holes. Ideally, a hanging pot or basket is best for them to cascade down.
Fun fact
This plant is so delicate and breaks off easily to ensure that it breaks enough to propagate itself across the landscape when in its natural habitat.