Is a blooming String of Buttons a good omen of money coming your way?

Many succulent lovers enjoy growing String of Buttons; not only does it carry auspicious meaning, but the plant itself is fresh and elegant, with a thousand shapes and forms.

Here, Duorou Shuo gives you a glimpse of the charm of String of Buttons.

Chinese scientific name

: String of Buttons

Latin scientific name

：Crassula marnieriana

Plant family and genus

: Crassulaceae, Crassula

Growth characteristics

: Winter-growing type

Light index

: Provide appropriate shade in summer, avoid harsh sun exposure

Watering index

: During the growing season, keep the potting soil moist, avoid waterlogging

Fertilizing index

: During the growing season, apply a thin, well-rotted liquid fertilizer about once every 15 days

Summering and overwintering

: In summer when temperatures exceed 35°C, provide shade; in winter<5℃入室

Propagation method

: Cuttings

Distribution area

: Native to South Africa, cultivable in many parts of China

Growing environment

: Prefers a sunny, cool and dry environment, tolerates partial shade, fears waterlogging, and dislikes hot, humid, stuffy conditions.

Appearance characteristics

: Stems upright, leaves round-triangular and thick, opposite, with upper and lower leaves crossing in a cross pattern and tightly arranged; String of Buttons leaves are usually green, and under a certain temperature difference and light, the leaf margins easily turn red; it blooms in April-May, at the top growth point, with small star-shaped white flowers.

Origin of the name

String of Buttons,

named because the plant closely resembles strings of ancient coins

, is one of the small succulents much loved by people. Its plant form is peculiar, delicate and lovely, with bright, pleasing colors; it is suitable for growing in small craft pots, and can also be paired with ornamental stones to make a small succulent bonsai to decorate a desk, windowsill and other places, fresh and elegant, full of charm. It can also be planted together with other succulent varieties in one pot to make a combination planter or terrarium.

Appearance characteristics

A perennial succulent herbaceous plant; the plant is subshrub-like, about 60 cm tall, and in pots can be kept at around 20 cm, with small branches, the stems fleshy and later somewhat woody. Leaves are gray-green to light green, with slightly red leaf margins, which show more clearly from late autumn to early spring in the cool season under conditions of ample sunlight and a large day-night temperature difference. Leaves are ovate-triangular, without petioles, connected at the base; young leaves are stacked one above another, while older leaves have a slight gap between upper and lower. Leaves are 1.5-2.5 cm long and 0.9-1.3 cm wide.

Flowers white, opening in April-May

。

Cultivation and management

From September each year to April-May of the following year is the growing season for String of Buttons

, and it should be given

ample sunlight

; if light is insufficient, the plant will grow leggy, the vertical distance between leaves will lengthen, making the plant form loose, and the red color of the leaf margins will also fade, affecting its appearance.

After May, as temperatures rise, the plant grows slowly or stops completely

; it can be placed in a

well-ventilated

spot for care, with a

shade

net set up or placed under the eaves and other places without direct sunlight for care, to avoid harsh sun exposure. During the growing season, keep the soil moist, but avoid waterlogging, otherwise the plant's roots and base will rot. Apply a thin, well-rotted liquid fertilizer about once every 15 days to provide sufficient nutrients and promote plant growth.

During the summer dormancy period, restrict watering, do not leave it in prolonged rain, and certainly do not fertilize, to avoid the plant rotting

。

In addition, it should be pruned and shaped regularly to keep the plant form attractive. Because the stems of old plants easily become hollow, and the fleshy leaves shrink and fall off, leaving the lower part of the plant leafless and bare, which is very unattractive, old plants should be renewed and new plants propagated.

When String of Buttons grows too crowded, it can be repotted in spring or autumn; the potting soil should be loose and fertile with good drainage and aeration, and it can be planted in a mixed growing medium of leaf mold, garden soil, coarse sand or vermiculite.

Propagation method

String of Buttons can be propagated by cuttings during

the growing season from September to May of the following year

.

Stem cuttings

: Cut healthy, robust stem sections with leaves; length requirements are not strict, but they must have 2 nodes (two pairs) of leaves. To prevent rot, let them dry for 1 to 2 days, and after the wounds have dried, insert them into a growing medium of leaf mold mixed with sandy soil or vermiculite, then keep it slightly moist; they root easily.

Leaf cuttings

: Cut healthy, mature fleshy leaves, let them dry for 1 to 2 days, then lay them flat on sandy soil or vermiculite, taking care to make the base of the leaf fit closely with the cutting medium, then keep it moist; in about 20 days new roots and new shoots will grow from the base.

Pest and disease control

The main diseases of String of Buttons are

gray mold

; in the early stages of the disease

you can spray with sterilizing agents such as thiophanate-methyl, carbendazim, chlorothalonil and others

; for the concentration, refer to the instructions of the medication or the text on the outer packaging.

As for pests, there are whiteflies, which can be killed with relevant pesticides.

So, has the graceful and elegant String of Buttons caught your eye?

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