I wasn't sure what I was getting when I purchased at a plant sale a slip of a delightful pendant succulent. But by end of the first year, I realized that this succulent, Crassula multicava, was not only hardy but a prolific plant. It has overgrown several patio pots, planted itself in a nearby flowerbed, surviving with little water and a lot of neglect during Vacaville's hottest summers.

 

Native to South Africa, this crassula is a relative of the familiar jade plant, hence the nickname Emerald Jade Carpet. But instead of having the capacity to grow into a large shrub like a jade plant, Crassula multicava rarely measures more than a 12 inches in height and 3 feet in width. With a low growing, trailing habit and the ability to tolerate low light, the soft deep green round leaves present a hardy ground cover beneath a shade tree, especially in dry areas where few plants thrive.

 

Personally, I'm impressed by this plant because it adds a touch of luxurious substance to a tall planter and its appearance becomes even more intriguing as it matures, producing long lanky stems that spill over the edges. And best of all, if protected from frost by a shade tree, an overhang or patio cover, Crassula multicava produces tiny pink buds that open into white star-like flowers during late winter to early spring. Some gardeners compare these blooms to the flowers of Gypsophila or baby's breath. When the flowers fade, the plant reproduces by forming new plants on the flower stalks. That's why you often see tiny green leaves sprouting among the blooms.

 

If you're searching for an intriguing ground cover for a dry shady spot or a succulent that spills over a pot edge, consider Crassula multicava.