Crassula atropurpurea

A small shrubby Crassula, up to about 60 cm, with fleshy leaves packed along erect branching stems, from southern Namibia through Namaqualand and the western and Little Karoo of South Africa. It grows in shallow soil and rock crevices on dry, sunny, rocky hills, turning purple under sun and drought. At home it wants full sun, a gritty mineral mix and a clear wet and dry cycle.

At home, aim for

Day Cool-growingTargets in Plantistry

Night Close to the dayTargets in Plantistry

Humidity Dry airBand in Plantistry

Light Full sunDLI and PPFD in Plantistry

Expects a seasonal restGrows in the ground

Where it grows wild

Dry rocky slopes and outcrops, often in exposed shallow soil on sunny rocky hilltops. Different varieties grow on quartzite gravel, sandstone and quartzite rock and in sheltered rock crevices.

Few records carry an elevation. The range spans the coastal lowlands of Namaqualand to the Cederberg and Karoo mountains, so it likely grows from near sea level to over 1,000 m.

South Africa: Western Cape and Northern CapeNamibia: southern

🔒 Growing it like that

The wild conditions above, turned into targets for a shelf, a tent or a greenhouse. The full profile has:

✓ Day and night temperature targets, and the limits it tolerates

✓ Humidity band, and how to hold it

✓ Light as DLI and PPFD for a grow light

✓ Wet and dry seasons, and whether to rest it

✓ Substrate and airflow

✓ A step-by-step setup to grow it like the wild

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Profiles are drafts built from measured range and climate and from published sources; each section carries its own confidence in the app.