Crassula ovata Minor

The Crassula ovata 'Minor' is a horticultural variety with a finely branching habit and ornamental fleshy foliage, smaller than the species and turning impressive red shades in the sun. It is a succulent perennial that forms a much denser upright bush, ideal for bonsai formation. In the middle of winter, it bears terminal corymbs with delicate small star-shaped flowers ranging from creamy white to pinkish hues. Not very hardy, it is a plant that is easily grown in a pot outdoors as long as it enjoys full light and a well-drained, dry substrate, and is kept in a bright, frost-free room during winter.

The Crassula ovata, aorjade tree, is a long-lived succulent perennial belonging to the family Crassulaceae. Most species in the genus are native to South Africa, where they thrive in bright environments with well-drained, light soils that remain dry during the winter season. This species requires little watering as its fleshy leaves effectively store water during drier periods. Crassula ovata is the most popular species. It is a succulent plant that requires little care and is commonly sold in garden centres and florists. Sensitive to cold temperatures, it does not tolerate temperatures below -2°C (28.4°F) and is mainly grown in pots that are brought indoors, protected from frost, from late autumn. Its weight and shallow root system require a large, heavy, stable pot, preferably stone or terracotta.

The Crassula ovata 'Minor' is a horticultural variety distinguished by a more branching habit and smaller leaves than the species, which can turn entirely red if strongly exposed to the sun. It is a perennial shrub with an upright, highly branched, compact habitat. Its silhouette is less imposing with its finer and more divided branches. The plant has an even slower growth and reaches about 90 cm (35in) in all directions after many years. The jade green leaves are fleshy, shiny, elliptical, less than 3 cm (1in) long, and their margins and sometimes even the entire lamina turn bright red to deep red in the sun. Flowering occurs in the middle of winter, between December and February, on mature plants. It takes the form of very light corymbs of smtinytar-shaped flowers, measuring 2 to 8 cm (1 to 3in) in diameter, grouped at the end of pink to bright red petioles.

Plant the Crassula ovata 'Minor' in a rock garden or on a well-drained slope if your garden is located by the sea, where frost does not exceed -2°C (28.4°F), alongside the Cape Aster Felicia amelloides, Delospermas, and purslanes that thrive in the same conditions. Elsewhere, you can plant it in a beautiful pot, alone or in combination with other succulent plants such as sempervivums.