This culture is considered the most popular talisman, which has the property of attracting wealth and prosperity to the house. Many lovers of home plants acquire such a "pet" that has fleshy leaves, somewhat similar to coins. The flower has two more names: Crassula or Crassula. It also has healing qualities - its leaves are used to treat nail fungus.
The scientific name of the money tree
If we talk about the scientific name, then in Latin it sounds like Crassula, the plant itself is a representative of the Crassulaceae family. This includes 300-350 different species whose habitat is located in South Africa.
Money tree, appearance
Also, some plants are common in tropical Africa, Madagascar and the Arabian Peninsula.
Useful advice. Every month it is recommended to wipe the leaves of the tree from dust. The plant is very fond of such a procedure. Some owners even arrange a shower flower out of warm water, but be sure to cover the potted soil with a plastic bag or film so that excess moisture does not damage the root system.
The plant is very famous among lovers of indoor flowers. In principle, it doesn’t matter what you call it: Crassula or Crassula - all this is one plant. Further material will be of interest to those who have not dealt with such a flower, but only want to acquire it.
Money tree flower description
It is worth moving on to the appearance of the plant itself. Crassula, otherwise it can be called a fat girl, is a succulent, i.e. a plant that can survive in arid territory, creating a supply of fluid in the leaves. In the thick leaves of the indoor tree there is indeed a large amount of water.
Crassula or Crassula
The Crassulaceae family includes approximately 350 species of such plants. Some of them have a very small height of about 5 cm, others - grow up to 3 meters. There are creeping and water representatives, all of them are united by leaves of impressive thickness. Their shape depends on the variety, there are plants with leaf plates:
- oval;
- cylinder;
- rhombus;
- lanceolate form.
Most often, the money tree, located at home or in the office, looks like a tree with a thick stem. The older the flower, the thicker its trunk.
Leaf plates are interesting not only for their diverse shapes, but also for their color variations: from the usual bright green to silver or even spotted.
How the money tree grows in nature
Under natural conditions, the plant reaches 1-2 meters in height, its trunk is about 30 cm thick. The leaves are small in size, have the shape of an ellipse, the color of the plates is bright emerald, in some species there may be a red border around the perimeter. For domestic species of money tree, flowering is uncharacteristic, but if such a rare occurrence occurs, then small white flowers appear, collected in inflorescences - umbrellas. The birthplace of the tree is in the Transvaal. This plant is also called ovate.
Money tree in nature
Purslane Crassula is a variation of the previous plant. Its trunk and branches cover aerial roots. Initially, they are white in color, gradually darken. Flowering for such a plant is very rare, it falls on adulthood. Flowers are small in size, collected in panicle inflorescences. Petals are white and pink.
How to grow a big money tree
Under natural conditions, there are only a few varieties of plants that can reach a large size. If the owner of the home flowers intended to grow a giant rossula, it is recommended that you listen to the following recommendations:
- The fat girl needs a certain amount of soil. The best option is land suitable for cacti. It contains all the components needed for the money tree. As the "pet" grows, it will need to be transplanted. This procedure is carried out every 2-3 years.
- The landing capacity is selected in such a size that it is suitable for a bulky root system. When choosing a pot, look at the diameter of the crown, it should coincide with the diameter of the pot.
- The pinching procedure will help to get a big tree, otherwise the plant will grow as it is more convenient for it, this makes it unattractive.
- Feed is added monthly, adding them to the ground. The necessary fertilizers are purchased in specialized stores.
Big money tree
- Providing the right lighting. Get a large culture will not work if it does not have enough light. Here it is worth remembering that the money tree is a native of the African continent, because it needs a lot of sunlight.
- Crassula needs moderate watering. They are carried out as the earth dries. Excessive moisture leads to the fact that the leaf plates become soft and pale in color. Without correcting the situation, the plant will simply die.
- Recommended daily spraying of a flower, as he is a great lover of moisture.
An important point. Before planting a large fat woman, you need to take care of the presence of heavy drainage at the bottom of the pot. Otherwise, due to the severity of the crown, the tree will simply fall.
How much money tree lives
The life conditions are directly affected by growing conditions. If the money tree is created a suitable microclimate, then it will grow for more than one decade and successfully add in size. There are representatives of the family and fifty years old, the question is, will the owner have enough patience for such a long care?
Varieties
The most popular variety of Crassulaceae is oval; it includes varieties in large quantities. Leaf blades 6 cm long and 3 cm wide. There is no petiole, the plate itself is attached to the stem.
The color of the leaves can be saturated green or have a silver tint, their edges are decorated with a red border. The flowers of the oval fatty are pink or white. The main advantage of this variety is considered undemanding to care.
Tree rossula
In height, the tree can reach 1.5 meters in height. Gray sheet plates are also framed by a red border. About 9 cm in length and 4 in width.
Crassula tree
The flowers have a white color, over time it acquires a pink hue. A tree representative is recommended on the west or east window.
Fatty Schmidt
The leaves are characterized by a lanceolate shape with pointed tips. The upper part of the leaflet is silver-green, the reverse is red. The flowers in the shrub are also red. This variety is popular in European countries, as an annual plant it is planted every season.
Crassula Schmidt bloom
On a note. Direct sunlight on the flower leads to the fact that redness, wilting and falling of leaves begin. In summer, the plant is recommended to be relocated to the balcony, with the onset of cold weather put on the windowsill facing south.
Plaudiform Crassula
The plant is the owner of fleshy, narrow leaves with a pointed, similar to scales. The color of the flowers is yellow, but they appreciate the culture for the original branches hanging from the pot as they grow.
The floating species
The fat woman grows to a height of 25 cm in height. Some lovers of indoor flowers plant it in one container with other succulents, to obtain very beautiful compositions. Caring for this variety is simple, because the plant is unpretentious. Life expectancy of more than 10 years. Reproduction occurs both as leaves and cuttings.
Rock Crassula
It is a representative of creeping plants reaching a height of 0.5 m. The stems are thin, with small thick leaves decorated with a red border.
Rocky
By color, the flowers may be pinkish or yellow.
Dotted fatty
It is a shrub with leaf blades located close to the stem. The ovoid leaves themselves are pointed at the top. They are greenish in color, there is a silver tint and dots of dark color. Flowering culture will be white flowers.
Point Crassula
Good to know. With the onset of cold weather, the money tree goes into a state of rest, for this period it is recommended to put it in a room where the temperature is about + 5 ° C. Watering is carried out once every 20 days.
Purslane Crassula
It has bright glossy green leaves in the shape of an ellipse with a thickening in the middle and a thinner part from the edges. As the shoots begin to develop, they become thicker. In height, such a plant can reach 2 meters.
Portulakova
Fatty Cooper
Especially interesting are the shoots of this plant. For the lower part, vertical growth is characteristic, for the upper part, a downward slope. The more they (shoots) grow, the stronger they are pressed to the ground. The leaves of the flower are elongated, with red dots, which gives the culture a very elegant look.
Fatty Cooper
Taking care of her is as easy as taking care of the rest of the family.
Care
Planting home culture in open soil is not recommended. If there is good weather, you can take the pot out to fresh air. This procedure will beneficially affect the well-being of the plant.
Worth to know! Being on the street, in the living air, often ends up with the aphid attacking the money tree. In order to recognize the problem in time and begin to fight harmful insects, it is necessary to periodically inspect the culture.
Despite the fact that in the homeland of Crassula, the living conditions are rather harsh, there are some aspects that you should know in order to grow a healthy flower in the house. Money tree care at home:
- The fat girl likes light, but the plant does not like direct sunlight. To provide the flower with diffused lighting, it is recommended to put the tree on a stand or shelf under the window. In the summer, you should consider shading glass (especially for the south and south-west windows). On the north side, the plant is placed directly on the windowsill;
- Dry air is not a problem for succulents, because of the frequent changes in the humidity indicator, various diseases can develop. The plant is difficult to adapt to frequently changing conditions;
- Adult crassula negatively relates to transplants, therefore, if there are no vital indications, the plant is best left alone;
- Excessive watering leads to rotting of the root system, which ends in the death of the flower. In spring and summer, the culture is watered once a week. Water is used soft, settled, room temperature;
- Frequent top dressing should also be discarded. It is enough for the plant that it will be fertilized once every six months;
- Contraindication - drafts, they provoke the disease. If during the winter period it is necessary to ventilate the room, it is recommended to take out a flower from the room for this time or to cover it. A long stay in cold air leads to the fact that the leaves begin to crumble from the culture.
On a note. The mealybug is not averse to settling on a money tree, which will cause both the plant and its owner great trouble. Periodic inspections of a flower and carrying out preventive measures will help to avoid this. If nevertheless harmful insects have been detected, then you will have to use insecticides to treat the plant.
Content temperature
In spring and summer, the optimum temperature indicators for Crassula are + 20-25 ° C. With the onset of suitable weather conditions, it is recommended to take the flower out onto the street or balcony, as the tree reacts poorly to a lack of fresh air.
Mealybug
In winter, the most comfortable mode is + 15 ° C and lower, but no less than + 4 ° C. If you organize a wintering for the money tree at room temperature, you can encounter such unpleasant moments as withering and falling leaves. Putting the pot next to a central heating battery is not recommended.
The unpretentiousness of the fat woman makes the money tree a favorite of many gardeners. Subject to all recommendations for care, the plant will look great, delight the owner for decades, and he will not need treatment.
