Crassula rupestris subsp. marnieriana ‘Hottentot’

A necklace-form Crassula from South Africa’s Cape

This cultivated form belongs to Crassula rupestris subsp. marnieriana, a South African subspecies native to the Cape Provinces. Its opposite rounded leaves clasp the slender stems in close pairs, creating the characteristic necklace-like structure.

‘Hottentot’ is a nursery name for the cultivated form and does not denote a separate wild population. The plant shares the South African origin of C. rupestris subsp. marnieriana.

Light, drying and root care

Light for tightly stacked leaves

Place it at a very bright east, south or west window with several hours of gentle direct sun. Introduce the plant to direct sun over several weeks, because foliage grown under cover can scorch after an abrupt move.

Watering stacked leaves along trailing stems

Allow most of the pot around the plant to dry, then soak the root ball from edge to centre and drain it. Repeated small sips leave weak surface roots while the lower mix remains wet and airless.

Shallow drainage beneath beaded ropes

Fine roots spread through a shallow volume, and low stems may root where they touch the mix. Pot the plant in a fast-draining cactus mix with plenty of fine pumice, lava, perlite or grit.

Humidity and airflow

Low to average household humidity suits the plant. Routine misting is unnecessary; water the roots thoroughly when the mix is ready, then let room air move around the plant.

Feeding tight stacked stems

New stems and roots need only light feeding. Use a cactus or succulent fertiliser at the low end of the product-label rate, and repeat only while firm new growth continues.

Problems along the stacked stems of Crassula ‘Hottentot’

Large gaps appear in the stacked leaf necklace

Healthy pairs should sit closely along the trailing stems. Long bare internodes and smaller, greener pairs are classic low-light growth. Increase light gradually and turn the pot so the rim receives light too. Prune and reroot compact tips after recovery; the stretched sections will not close up.

The bead-like leaves shrivel along a whole strand

Firm wrinkles on dry compost usually indicate depleted water stores. A strand can look equally thirsty when its roots or base have rotted, so inspect before watering: healthy stems are firm, while failed bases are brown, translucent or hollow. Water sound dry roots; propagate healthy tips above a damaged base.

Trailing stems snap where they cross the pot rim

The densely stacked stems become heavy and can kink against a sharp rim or during handling. Move the pot by its container, not its strands, and use a rounded hanger or shelf edge. A clean broken tip can be callused and rooted. Breaks that turn soft are staying too wet.

The lowest stacks become yellow and mushy

Water retained around the crowded base can start stem rot before the hanging ends show distress. Lift the strands, remove wet debris and cut every affected stem back to firm tissue. Root clean tips in a fast-draining mix. Do not wait for blackening to travel through the tightly packed leaf pairs.

Keep Crassula rupestris subsp. marnieriana ‘Hottentot’ away from children and pets

• Keep this plant away from children, cats and dogs.
• Its effects after chewing or swallowing are unclear, and plant material can still cause an upset stomach.
• Contact a veterinarian or medical professional if symptoms develop or do not settle.

What does Crassula rupestris mean, and who first published it?

Crassula comes from the Latin crassus, meaning thick. The epithet rupestris means growing among rocks.

Carl Linnaeus established the genus Crassula in 1753 in Species Plantarum, page 283.

Carl Peter Thunberg first described Crassula rupestris in 1778 in Nova Acta Physico-Medica Academiae Caesareae Leopoldino-Carolinae Naturae Curiosorum, volume 6, pages 329 and 332.