Species library › Crassula › Crassula muscosa
Succulents Well documented

Crassula muscosa

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A small, much-branched succulent with tiny scale-like leaves packed into square, chain-like stems. It is very widespread in southern Africa, from Namaqualand and the Karoo to the southern Cape coast and the Free State. In the wild it tucks in among rocks, under shrubs, on cliff ledges and on stream banks, so it takes more shade and moisture than most Crassula while still thriving in bright light.

Crassula muscosa
Photo: Didier Descouens, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
At home, aim for
Day Cool-growingTargets in Plantistry
Night Close to the dayTargets in Plantistry
Humidity Dry airBand in Plantistry
Light Bright, filtered lightDLI and PPFD in Plantistry
Expects a seasonal restGrows in the ground

Where it grows wild

It grows on rocky outcrops, ridges, cliff tops and ledges, hill slopes, dolerite and shale screes, coastal dunes, and stony stream banks. Habitats include Nama and Succulent Karoo, fynbos, coastal dune fynbos and riverine thicket. Labels range from full sun on open karoo to partial shade in kloofs and beside streams, and it often grows at the base of rocks or shrubs.

Few records carry an elevation. Its range runs from sea level on the southern Cape coast to Karoo escarpments such as the Nuweveld and Roggeveld mountains at about 1,200–1,700 m, where winter frost is regular.

South Africa: Western CapeSouth Africa: Northern Cape (Namaqualand, Roggeveld, Nuweveld)South Africa: Eastern Cape (Karoo, Graaff-Reinet, Somerset East)South Africa: Free StateNamibia (south)

🔒 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. Photo from Wikimedia Commons, used under its CC BY-SA 4.0 licence, unmodified.