Crassula ovata ‘compacta’
My own personal Crassula ovata ‘compacta’ is adorable honestly, but it is also technically the exact same species genetically as my Crassula ovata, just a different cultivar, which means that it was selectively bred by hand to have special traits, which in this case is a smaller leaf size. Since I have it, it has shown that it’s only difference from the normal plant to be that it is slightly faster growing, but that might just be because everything about it is smaller overall and takes less energy to produce. As a specific variety of Crassula ovata, I like to keep it with other cultivars of Crassula ovata that also have different unique features about themselves. But I also thing that it pairs well with Crassula thyrsiflora because they are totally opposites in every way, or Senecio jabobseniii because they both have a nice spoon leaf shape, but have totally different growing patterns.
General Info
Crassula ovata ‘compacta’ is a medium green spoon leaved, faux woody stemmed, succulent subshrub, which is super easy and low maintenance succulent to have. Its small spoon shaped leaves grow in pairs perpendicular to the previous set on a thick green stem. It’s stem overtime grows thicker and thicker turning from green to brown and scarred making it look like a small tree, perfect for bonsai. It also branches occasionally with a new branch sprouting at the stem side tip of an old leaf. The small leaves of Crassula ovata ‘compacta’ also are known to blush bright burgundy or red in bright light conditions, just like the standard version. Because this one is a bit faster growing than the standard version, I would hesitate about putting it full shade conditions because I think that it would stretch more and not have the strong thick woody stems develop that are typical of this species and then maybe not be able to hold it self up over time. Just like the standard version, Crassula ovata ‘compacta’ is an ideal succulent to have and can pretty much handle whatever you throw at it besides overwatering like all other succulents, and I would recommend it to succulent masters as an ornamental addition to their collection and beginners as a first or second plant alike.
Characteristics
Native to: South Africa
Height: 3-4 ft max, usually less than 12 in.
Spread: 2 ft max, usually single or double stemmed
Hardiness: to 30°F+
Light Requirements: Moderate Shade to Bright Sun
Water Requirements: Moderate (average to heavy for succulents)
Flowers: Small and Light Pink in spring, harder to accomplish in doors
Other: Drought friendly, interesting cultivar, easy to bonsai, tolerates wide range of conditions, tough and forgiving, faster growing but smaller than normal sized variant.
Species Classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Core Eudicots
Order: Saxifragales
Family: Crassulaceae
Genus: Crassula
Species: C. ovata
Cultivar: C. ovata ‘compacta’
