This succulent looks like a string of coins, fresh and lovely, and is well worth growing in a pot.

Crassula perforata, a succulent plant in the Crassulaceae family, genus Crassula, is also called "string of coins" because it looks like strings of ancient copper coins. Isn't that interesting? Let's take a look!

1. Color changes of Crassula perforata

Its leaves are opposite, heart-shaped or long triangular, with deep green leaf color. In winter and early spring, during the cool season, or under conditions of sufficient sunlight, the leaves become reddish-brown or brown, and the leaf margins have a white cuticle. The leaves of the whole plant are arranged densely and neatly, gradually becoming smaller from the base upward, forming a pagoda shape. It is a peculiar and beautiful succulent plant. Crassula perforata blooms in beige-yellow, opening from May to June.

2. Growing environment and light

Crassula perforata prefers a sunny, warm, and dry environment, and dislikes wet conditions, high temperature and muggy heat, and overly shady conditions. It is drought-tolerant and tolerant of partial shade. Its growing season is in winter, and it should be given sufficient light, otherwise insufficient light will affect the leaf color and luster. Its growing season is in winter, and it should be given sufficient light, otherwise insufficient light will affect the leaf color and luster.

3. Watering and fertilizing

Keep the potting soil moist but not waterlogged. Apply once every half month a fully decomposed, dilute liquid fertilizer or a compound fertilizer low in nitrogen and high in phosphorus and potassium. The application amount should not be too much, so as to avoid leggy stems and leaves, elongated internodes, and a loose plant form, which would seriously affect its ornamental value.

4. Summer ventilation

In summer, when temperatures are high, Crassula perforata enters a dormant or semi-dormant state, and its growth slows or stops completely. It should be placed in a ventilated, cool, brightly lit place without direct sunlight for care. Do not water too much, to prevent rot.

5. Temperature

In winter, place it indoors in a sunny spot. Above 10°C, the plant can continue to grow, and it should be watered appropriately. If the potting soil is kept dry and the plant is allowed to go dormant, it can also tolerate low temperatures of 5°C.

6. Repotting

When the plant has filled the pot, repot it in spring. The potting soil should be loose, fertile, and have good drainage. Mix 2 parts each of garden soil, coarse sand, or vermiculite with 1 part leaf mold, then add a small amount of bone meal and chicken or cow manure as base fertilizer. Old plants that have grown for many years can produce very beautiful flowers.

7. Propagation

There are three methods of propagating Crassula perforata:

(1) Division

Separate the densely growing plants, with 3 to 4 stems per clump, then plant them directly in pots.

(2) Cuttings

During the growing season, cut healthy, plump terminal branches and insert them in sandy soil for cuttings. Each cutting should have more than 4 pairs of leaves and be 3 to 5 cm long. At 18 to 24°C, keep them slightly moist, and they will root in 2 to 3 weeks.

(3) Sowing

Seeds can be harvested and sown from April to May. At around 20°C, the seeds germinate within two weeks after sowing, and the seedlings grow quickly.