Crassula arborescens cristata (Crested Silver Dollar Jade)

Crassula arborescens cristata, the Crested Silver Dollar Jade, is a collector’s take on a classic. A natural crested mutation fuses the growing tips into wavy fans and ridges, so instead of a neat branching shrub you get dense, brain-like folds of rounded blue-grey leaves. Each thick leaf is dusted silver with a fine red edge in good light.

Origins. The species is a Crassula from the Western Cape of South Africa, growing in dry, rocky scrub. The crested form is a prized oddity, so it sits happily among our rare and unusual plants.

Care. Treat it as the tough, sun-loving jade it is. Give it the brightest spot you can and water only when the soil has dried right through, using a gritty succulent mix so the roots never sit wet. It is slow-growing and undemanding, which makes it a rewarding beginner succulent with real character.