Crassula montana subsp. montana
Introduction
Crassula montana subsp. montana is a dwarf solitary to sparingly or densely dividing plant with mottled leaves in tight, cup-shaped rosettes and a spike-like inflorescence with tubular white to pinkish flowers in winter and early spring. Widespread from the Koue Bokkeveld and Gifberg to Worcester and further east to Kendrew, mainly in Fynbos and Karoo. Grows well in containers in dappled shade.
Fig. 1. A young plant of Crassula montana subsp. montana in habitat growing on a cliff along the southern Cederberg (Rooisederberg), Western Cape.
Description
Description
Plants grow in a rosette, starting solitary but proliferating from the base to form small, dense groups up to 30 mm high (without inflorescence). The roots are fibrous. The leaves are egg-shaped (ovate) to broadly obovate, 15–25 × 10–16 mm, 4-ranked (in opposite pairs) in a dense, basal, almost cup-shaped rosette, becoming smaller upwards, light to dark green, with dark green dots, hairless (glabrous) but with short marginal hairs (cilia); the under surface of the leaf often dark maroon-purple and the leaf tip pointed to blunt. Inflorescence a terminal spike-like thyrse, occasionally flat-topped, 50–90 mm high, bearing sessile dichasia; peduncle 10–80 mm long; bracts leaf-like, obovate to lanceolate 5–14 × 6–8 mm, ciliate. Calyx lobes 2–4 mm long, triangular-lanceolate, ciliate. Corolla tubular, 6 mm long, white often tinged pink; lobes oblong, 5 mm long, fused shortly at base, tips spreading. Flowering occurs in winter and spring (August–October).
Fig. 2. Crassula montana subsp. montana in flower in habitat growing on a cliff in the Cederberg, Western Cape (Photo: Felix Riegel).
Conservation Status
Status
Assessed as Least Concern (LC) by the Red List of South African Plants, Crassula montana subsp. montana is well protected by the often inaccessible cliff habitat.
Fig. 3. Left. The shady south-facing quarzitic sandstone cliffs along the southern Cederberg, Western Cape, habitat of Crassula montana subsp. montana. Right. A plant growing in a shady crevice, note the cup-shaped rosettes, old inflorescences as well as the poikilohydric fern Asplenium cordatum just above the plant.
Distribution and habitat
Distribution description
Crassula montana subsp. montana is widely distributed from the Vanrhynsdorp District in the northern and southern Cederberg in the Western Cape to the Escarpment Mountains near Fraserburg in the Northern Cape and to Badspoort south of Calitzdorp and eastwards to the Kouga Dam in the Eastern Cape. The habitat consists of sheltered quarzitic sandstone (Table Mountain Formation, Cape Supergroup) as well as shale cliffs on mountain ranges and kloofs from 200–2 000 m altitude. Plants grow in shallow soil on rocky ledges and mostly in shade. The temperatures are high in summer and mild in winter. The average daily maximum temperature is 25–27°C and the average daily minimum 10–12°C. Rainfall occurs mainly in winter (cyclonic winter rain) and summer (thunder showers) and ranges from 200–300 mm per annum. The Associated vegetation consists of Agter-Sederberg Shrubland (Fynbos Biome) and Western Gwarrieveld (Succulent Karoo Biome), Upper Karoo Hardeveld (Nama Karoo Biome) as well as Camdebo Escarpment Thicket (Thicket Biome).
Fig. 4. Left The Escarpment Cliffs near Fraserburg, habitat of Crassula montana subsp. montana. Right A young dividing plant of Crassula montana subsp. montana on a cliff ledge at Rooikloof, southern Escarpment Mountains near Fraserburg, during the moist season.
On the Wolfberg in the Cederberg, associated cliff dwellers include Bulbine sp., Crassula nudicaulis, Crassula tomentosa var. glabrifolia and Curio crassulifolius. At Rooikloof, Fraserburg, plants grows with Adromichus humilis on shady south-facing cliffs. Along the Piekenierskloof plants grow with Adromichus hemisphaericus, Crassula rupestris, Oscularia alba and Tylecodon paniculatus.
Fig. 5. Crassula montana subsp. montana on a south-facing mineral-poor quarzitic sandstone cliff on the Piekenierskloof Pass, Olifantsrivier Mountains near Citrusdal, in the dry autumn season, LEFT sharing its habitat with Oscularia alba, Adromischus hemisphaerica and Crassula rupestris, and RIGHT with Crassula tomentosa var. tomentosa and Crassula rupestris.
Derivation of name and historical aspects
History
Crassula montana was named in 1778 in by the Swedish botanist Carl Peter Thunberg (1743–1828), also known as the father of South African botany, who travelled in the Cape from 1772 until 1774. He collected his specimen on his second journey from 1773 to 1774, on the Bokveld mountain (probably Koue Bokkeveld). His species name montana, is appropriate because this species is always associated with mountains.
Crassula montana subsp. montana belongs to section Rosulares, which is characterised, as its name implies, by plants with leaves in tight basal rosettes. The leaves all have a firm bristle-like hairy margin and an elongate inflorescence with a distinct peduncle. Plants vary from the dwarf Crassula socialis to Crassula acinaciformis which can be more than a metre tall when in flower.
Fig. 6. Left. The south-facing mineral-poor quarzitic sandstone cliff on the Blinkberg, southern Cederberg, habitat of Crassula montana subsp. montana. Right. Crassula montana subsp. montana growing on a south-facing cliff on the Blinkberg during wet winter season, sharing its habitat with moss.
Crassula montana subsp. montana is variable, the typical form divides, growing in small to larger clusters. Along the Cederberg Mountains, at Piekenierskloof Pass, the plants are dwarf with much shorter leaves and grow in dense clusters. Plants from the Escarpment Mountains near Fraserburg are larger with fewer heads.
Fig. 7. Left Crassula montana subsp. montana growing on a shady south-facing cliff on the Piekienerskloof Pass, Olifantsrivier Mountains near Citrusdal, during the dry autumn season. Right Crassula montana subsp. montana in habitat on a cliff ledge along the southern Escarpment Mountains near Fraserburg, during the wet winter season.
Crassula montana subsp. montana is related to C. pseudhemisphaerica, C. hemisphaerica and C. montana subsp. quadrangularis, and is at once distinguished by its tight cushions of 4-ranked, obovate, mottled leaves forming almost cup-shaped rosettes.
Toelken divided Crassula montana in two subspecies, subsp. montana and subsp. quadrangularis. The latter grows in dry karoo vegetation and usually associated with shale cliffs and outcrops, and is distinguished by its dense cushions of more or less square-shaped plant bodies. The subspecies borealis was added by the author in 2015 for plants occurring in northern Namaqualand and the Richtersveld, with cup-shaped rosettes of broadly ovate leaves which are pitted, growing on south-facing sandstone cliffs and flowering in summer (December-January).
Ecology
Ecology
Plants grows in cliff-hugging mats on sheltered southern cliffs, filling crevices in the absence of disturbances by larger herbivores. Their compact habit is certainly an adaptation to the dry conditions on the cliff face. Plants proliferate, forming dense cushions, a vegetative backup strategy enabling the plants to survive the harsh conditions on the cliff face.
The leaves are green, mottled, becoming reddish during dry periods. The reddish colour is caused by the production of anthocyanins and reduces penetration of light, an adaptation resulting from the dry conditions associated with the cliff. Plants are long-lived perennials. The soft-leaved plant bodies are without conspicuous armament because the are out of the reach of larger herbivores. Flowers appearing in spring are pollinated by insects. The fruits are dehiscent, with seeds spontaneously released in summer and dispersed by wind, widely spread by thermals at the onset of thunder showers, maximising establishment. The seed is minute and ideal for establishment in crevices.
Fig. 8. Crassula montana subsp. montana coming in to flower in habitat on a cliff ledge along southern Escarpment Mountains near Fraserburg during the dry season, note the maroon colour of the lower surface of the leaf.
Growing Crassula montana subsp. montana
Grow
Easily cultivated, its vigour viewed as maximising survival. Outside its habitat, it is best grown under controlled conditions in a greenhouse. The plant does best in dappled shade. Avoid full sun. Plants need a sandy, well-drained soil. Water moderately in autumn, winter and spring. Keep dry during the summer months. Best for small containers, miniature succulent gardens and windowsills where there is no competition from larger non-succulent plants. It can be grown with other dwarf succulent plants. Apply an organic liquid fertiliser when necessary.
Fig. 9. Seedlings of Crassula montana subsp. montana on a sandstone cliff ledge along the Kouga Dam, Eastern Cape.
Propagate by division or seed. Sow seed in a sandy gravely mixture in the autumn and keep in a shady position. Germination is rapid and once the seedlings are large enough to handle, prick them out into larger containers.
Mealy bug can be a problem and occasionally white scale.
References
- Christenhusz, M.J.M., Fay, M.F. & Chase, M.W. 2017. Plants of the World, an illustrated Encyclopedia of vascular plants. Kew Publishing, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
- Eggli, U. (ed.) 2003. Illustrated handbook of succulent plants: Crassulaceae. Springer, Berlin.
- Glen, H.F. & Germishuizen, G. (compilers). 2010. Botanical exploration of southern Africa, edition 2. Strelitzia 26. South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria.
- Mucina, L. & Rutherford, M.C. (eds) 2006. The vegetation of South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland. Strelitzia 19. South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria.
- Raimondo, D., Von Staden, L., Foden, W., Victor, J.E., Helme, N.A., Turner, R.C., Kamundi, D.A. & Manyama, P.A. (eds) 2009. Red list of South African plants. Strelitzia 25. South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria.
- Riegel, F. 2019-Oct. Observation of Crassula montana subsp. montana, Sandddrif, Cederberg. iNaturalist. Online. https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/38501493.
- Rowley, G. 2003. Crassula: a growers guide. Cactus & Co. Vista, California.
- Thunberg, C.P. 1778 Crassula montana. Nova acta physico-medica Academiae Caesareae Leopoldino-Carolinae Naturae Curiosum 6: 329, 332.
- Toelken, H.R. 1985. Crassulaceae. Flora of Southern Africa 14: 1–244.
- Van Jaarsveld, E.J. 2015. Crassula montana subsp. borealis, a new cliff-dwelling species from Namaqualand, Northern Cape, Republic of South Africa. Haseltonia 21:97-101.
Credits
Ernst van Jaarsveld
Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden (Retired)
Babylonstoren Farm (Current)
Extraordinary senior lecturer and researcher,
Department of Biodiversity and Conservation, University of the Western Cape
January 2026
Acknowledgements: image of the flowers of Crassula montana subsp. montana by Felix Riegel.
Plant Attributes:
Plant Type: Succulent
SA Distribution: Eastern Cape, Northern Cape, Western Cape
Soil type: Sandy, Loam
Flowering season: Spring, Winter
PH: Acid
Flower colour: White, Pink
Aspect: Shade, Morning Sun (Semi Shade)
Gardening skill: Average
Special Features:
Drought resistant
Good potplant
Indoor plant
Horticultural zones
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