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Crassula multicava (Fairy Crassula) A neatly growing evergreen low-growing plant that rarely exceeds a foot tall in the landscape and is even lower when grown in dry shade. It forms wide mats of solid cover with 1 1/2-inch-long glossy rounded leaves in opposite pairs that are dark and lustrous in the shade and paler green when grown in more sun and have small red dots on the upper surface. In winter appear the petite flowers which are pink in bud and then open to charming little white stars that are very showy as a spray above the foliage on reddish stems. After flowering small plantlets often form in the flower axils.
Plant in full coastal sun or in the shade. It is tolerant of extended dry periods when growing in shade and in fact needs no supplemental irrigation to survive in these conditions in Santa Barbara but will look better with an occasional watering. Though often listed for frost free gardens it has survived in our garden with little damage on the cold nights of December 1990 with temperatures around 20° F and 3 nights at 25° F in January 2007. It is long lived and responds well to hard pruning should one feel it is overgrown and cuttings strike easily if one is so inclined. This plant has long been in cultivation in California but never seems to be commonly offered in nurseries, which is surprising as it has been a commonly used plant in its native South Africa and a durable stalwart in older gardens in California. Sima Eliovson, described as the doyenne of garden writing in South Africa, says in her great book Wildflowers for Southern Africa "A delightful plant for a shady position, C. multicava should be grown in every garden". Since it grows carefree throughout the garden, some suggest it weedy, but it is not so rapidly growing and has such shallow roots that it really is not a pest. It is easily controllable or simple to move to a more wanted location or to share with friends.
Crassula multicava occurs naturally along the forest margin, riparian areas and within coastal vegetation from Mpumulanga (Eastern Transvaal), Natal to the Eastern and southern Cape provinces. The genus Crassula was a Linnaean name first used in 1753 and comes from the Latin word 'crassus' meaning "thick" that refers to the thick plump leaves of many of the genus. The specific epithet given this plant by the French botanist Charles Antoine Lemaire (1800 - 1871) in 1862 comes from the Latin words 'multi' meaning "many" and 'cava' which means a "hollow", "hole" or "cavity" in reference to the pore-like holes in the leaves of this species. These holes, allowing the rapid uptake of water directly into the plant, are called "hydathodes", though this name has traditionally been used for a gland that secretes water instead of the reverse. Other common names for this plant include Pitted Crassula, Mosquito Flower, London Pride and Cape Province Pygmyweed.
We have grown this plant on and off since 1993 and also grow a cultivar with red backed leaves called Crassula multicava 'Ngabara' and a variegated cultivar called Crassula multicava 'Mali's Thai-Dye'.
Information displayed on this page about Crassula multicava is based on our research conducted about this plant in our nursery library as well as from information provided by reliable online resources. We also include our own observations made about it as it has grown in the nursery gardens and other gardens visited, as well how the crops of this plant performed in the containers in our nursery field. We will also include comments received from others and welcome hearing from anyone who has information about this plant, particularly if it includes cultural information aiding others to better grow it.
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