Question
Crassula Pellucida
Recently I bought a couple of little plants that I found at a grocery store. Both came with the tag that most plants come with that gives the name and general information. I looked up both plants on the internet to get more care instructions. The first is a small Sempervivum or "Sunset". It already has small shoots coming off and while I want it to get bigger, both plants are going to be house plants in pots so I don't want to many baby Sempervivums taking over the pot. Would triming those or transplanting them hurt the original plant?
The second is a Crassula Pellucida (variegated). However, when I looked this one up the pictures I found look different from the plant I have. Mine's leaves are a lighter green, with more white, the color around the edge of the leaves is not red like the pictures but almost hot pink, and lastly the leaves on mine are shaped differently then those in the pictures. Also it leans pretty bad, but I wonder if that is just because it is top heavt or because of how it was growing at first and will get better as it gets bigger. I will send you a picture as well. I just want to make sure I have the right name so I can give it the right care. Any little help you can give me would be awesome!
AnswerLindsey,
The Sempervivum (Sunset is the variety name) is actually an outdoor plant that should be planted in the ground in full sun, indoors it needs a very sunny location and it will need a 6 week cold period in the winter when the temps should be in the 40's or lower. Yes, you can remove any plantlets that fall down over the sides of the pot and either transplant them or trim them off.
The Crassula Pellucida (variegated) is a wonderful plant. It needs a lot of sun to maintain the red edges you see in the online pictures. Yours has lost some of the red while it was indoors at the grocery and during shipping. The longer that it does not get full sun it will loose even the hot pink edges. As for the leaning it looks like you have repotted it into a larger pot and until it fills the pot with roots it needs to be staked to hold it straight. You can use anything to stake it, even a piece of wire coat hanger and a long bread twist tiem to tie it to the stake to hold it up. Although from what I see on the web it is more of a creeping, vining crassula and you may never be able to get it to stand up. It is in it's nature to lay down and creep. The more sun it gets the redder the edges will get. Without sun they will turn green. If you have more questions feel free to write again. Good luck.
Darlene
