Crassula sarmentosa Harv., commonly called trailing jade or variegated trailing Crassula, is a lax branching succulent native to the Eastern Cape of South Africa. It grows among rocks and at the edge of subtropical thicket vegetation, where its trailing stems sprawl over stones and hang from ledges. In cultivation it is one of the most popular species for hanging pots and mixed-succulent baskets.
Part of the Complete Crassula Guide.
Identification
- Leaves. Ovate to slightly elliptic, 2–4 cm long, glossy green, with a distinct red margin in strong light. The variegated cultivar 'Comet' carries broad creamy-yellow marginal variegation that takes over most of the leaf in bright conditions.
- Stems. Thin, green when young, lignifying to tan-brown with age. Stems reach 30–60 cm long and sprawl or trail rather than growing upright.
- Flowers. Small white to pale pink star-shaped flowers in loose clusters at branch tips, produced in autumn and winter on mature stems. Lightly fragrant.
- Habit. Trailing to scrambling, branching freely. Ideal for hanging pots.
Confusion with flat-leaved Crassula 'Platyphylla' and with Crassula multicava is common. C. sarmentosa has longer internodes and a more trailing habit than either; C. multicava has glossy round leaves with distinctive pale dots on the upper surface.
Cultivation
Care follows the pillar defaults with two divergences worth noting.
Light: bright light including some direct sun produces the red leaf margins and variegation colouring. The variegated cultivar 'Comet' scorches more easily than the plain species and benefits from morning sun rather than midday exposure.
Substrate: the species tolerates a more moisture-retentive mix than most Crassulas. A standard 50/50 pumice and loam-based compost works well, and the plant does not demand the pure mineral mix that the miniatures do.
Water and temperature: standard pillar defaults. Minimum 5 °C; the species suffers more noticeably than C. ovata in cold draughts.
Propagation
Trivial. Stem cuttings of any length root within 2 weeks in gritty mix. The trailing stems often self-layer at the nodes where they touch substrate, and these rooted sections can be cut off and potted on with no further care. Leaf propagation also works but stem cuttings are faster.
The variegated 'Comet' needs care in propagation: cuttings taken from heavily white-variegated shoots carry too little chlorophyll and tend to fail, while cuttings from shoots with a balanced mix of green and cream succeed reliably.
Notes and Quirks
The cultivar 'Comet' (sometimes sold as C. sarmentosa 'Variegata') is the most commonly seen form in the ornamental trade and is often labelled simply as "variegated trailing jade". The variegation is genetic and stable on cuttings taken from mixed-pigment shoots.
In subtropical climates the species can become mildly weedy by self-layering; in Mediterranean or temperate cultivation indoors this is not a concern.