Crassula exilis subsp. schmidtii

The Crassula exilis subsp schmidtii is a small succulent plant native to South Africa that forms a bushy and creeping ground cover in poor, sandy or rocky soils. Its small green succulent leaves, tinged with red in the sun, highlight its long and delicate purple-pink flowering. Not very hardy, it is a plant easily grown in a pot for overwintering. Outdoors, in a coastal garden or protected from heavy frost, this discreet beauty tolerates drought and sea spray and looks wonderful above walls or in rockeries.

The Crassula exilis subsp schmidtii is a succulent perennial plant of the Crassulaceae family. Most species in the genus are native to South Africa, where they thrive in bright environments in well-drained, light soils that remain dry during winter. This species requires little watering as its fleshy leaves serve as storage during drier periods. The Crassula exilis is sometimes grown as an indoor plant because it cannot survive temperatures below -5°C (23°F) at its lowest. It should be brought indoors and protected from frost from late autumn onwards.

The Crassula exilis subsp schmidtii is a highly branched plant with fairly slow growth. It reaches a height of about 10-15 cm (4-6in) but spreads laterally through rooting stems that anchor into the ground. The stems are densely covered with round, fleshy, elongated, velvety leaves with a reddish underside. These dense leaves form a kind of rosette. The leaf blades sometimes turn pink in the sun. Flowering occurs from May to July on mature plants. It takes the form of short flower spikes, barely protruding from the foliage, bearing corymbs of tiny star-shaped flowers, pink to purple, measuring approximately 5 mm (1in) in diameter.

In mild coastal climates, it is possible to plant Crassula exilis subsp schmidtii in rockeries, above a wall or on a well-drained slope, alongside Cape Aster Felicia amelloides, Delospermas and purslanes that thrive in similar conditions. Elsewhere, you can plant it in a nice pot, alone or in combination with other succulent plants such as houseleeks.