Crassula (KRAS-yew-la)
Crassulaceae
Relatives: Relatives: Echeveria, Kalanchoe, Sempervivum, Cotyledon
Crassula is a genus of succulent plants containing about 200 accepted and recognized species, including the popular Jade Plant. They are members of the stonecrop family (Crassulaceae) and are native to many parts of the globe, but cultivated varieties originate almost exclusively from species from the Eastern Cape of South Africa. Varying from spreading groundcovers to dense shrubs, Crassulas are easily propagated by stem or leaf cuttings. Most cultivated forms will tolerate some small degree of frost, but extremes of cold or heat will cause them to lose foliage and die. Crassula was first formally described by Carl Linnaeus in 1753 with 10 species. The name Crassula comes from the Latin, meaning thick, referring to the thickening of the succulent leaves.