Crassula Capitella (crassula campfire)-Caring Guide, Uses & FAQs

Crassula capitella (crassula campfire) is an evergreen plant originally found in South Africa and commonly known as crassula campfire.

This is very colorful and eye-catching branched succulent with densely compact propeller-shaped leaves.

The foliage of this plant grows in prostrate with lime green colour at the bottom and turns red at the tips.

It grows very fast with a little bit of care and produces vibrant and bright colour 

It grows about 6 inches (15cm) in height and 3 feet wide (90cm) wide with the cluster of white flowers rest on the leaves in the summers.

This campfire succulent particularly attracts the bees and butterfly If you are a real lover of butterfly this is the best option for you.

Many succulent lovers choose this succulent to enhance the beauty of their gardens because of its colour.

Its foliage has a very unique and exclusive feature when you give a little bit of stress to this plant it will achieve a vibrant and bright red colour mainly in winter.

Crassula Capitella (crassula campfire)-Complete Guide

 Origin and native place of crassula campfire 

Campfire crassula is originally native to South Africa and mainly found in these provinces of South Africa.

 where to plant 

since this succulent is not a cold hardy it can’t survive the temperature below 30oF (-1).

If you are living at a place where the temperature falls from 30oF, it is best to plant it in a container and brought it indoor whenever you feel that the temperature becomes too low.

However, it needs plenty of sunlight either partial sunlight or full sunlight depending on the climate. 

if you are living at a place where the temperature is moderate then you can plant it outdoor.

how to Care for Crassula capitella 

Watering requirements

watering plays a vital role to groom your Crassula capitella campfire and keep it healthy for a long time.

The watering process is totally depending on your climate conditions and season. 

if you are living at a place where the climate is warm then your plant needs frequent water.

Also, in summers it needs frequent water as compared to winter.

Please be careful about overwatering crassula campfire don’t like overwatering.

Overwatering is the main cause of several diseases including root rotting.

Due to overwatering the soil of the campfire crassula keep wet for a long time which leads to root rot.

But how you can identify the needs of watering?

I suggest you, use soak and dry method for watering or a 2-inch finger role.

 How to use soak and dry method for watering? 

Soak and dry method is a very simple and easy method for watering just you need to water your crassula capitella once its soil becomes too dry.

 How to use a 2-inch finger role for watering? 

Most of the succulent lovers use this rule because it will provide a proper analysis of soil moisture.

Simply you have to use your finger and dig a 2-inch large hole in the soil of campfire crassula and observe the moisture in the soil.

If the soil has some moisture, then leave it until it will dry.

Once the soil becomes very dry then water it.

 Here is the step by step guide to water your plant 

 

 STEP 1:  use the container or pot with a drainage hole

 IMPORTANT: STEP 2:  keep pour water in the soil of crassula capitella don’t water the rosette because it could attract the bugs and diseases.

 STEP 3: keep watering for 2 3 times until the soil becomes a little bit wet.

Make sure the water completely drains out from the bottom drainage hole of the container.

Lightning requirements

Lighting is the main source to achieve the attractive bright colour of crassula campfire.

An adequate amount of lighting is very necessary for this succulent if you want to grow it well with bright and eye-catching colours.

It needs light either direct sunlight or partial sunlight

As crassula capitella is the native form of bright and warm places it loves to grow in full sunlight but it needs some safety precisions.

If you are living at a place where direct sun rays are very harsh in summer. Then you can’t place your succulent for a long time outdoor because it can burn its leaves.

However, you can place it for 2-3 hours in the morning sun after that you can bring it indoor when sun rays become intense.

In winters you can increase the sunlight exposure time because sun rays are mostly mild in winter.

Partial, filtered, or indirect sunlight is also necessary for crassula campfire at various places where sun rays are intense in summers.

Set up a greenhouse or any shade is the best investment to make your crassula capitella campfire secure from direct sun rays.

Or you can bring your crassula capitella indoor and place it in a window where indirect light is available.

Soil Needed

Soil selection is the most important and crucial step; good soil will help you to boost the growth of your plant, and bad soil will destroy your plant within weeks.

So how can we select a good soil?

Here are some tips to select the soil

Make sure to select the de-moisturized soil, which has the quality to drain out the water completely.

good soil has the proper mixture of perlite and potting mix.

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Container or pot 

There are plenty of pots or container available in the market for the succulent plant you can find out easily but you have to select a pot which has a drainage hole at the bottom.

Also, select a pot of appropriate size according to the roots of your plant.

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Crassula capitalle campfire doesn’t require any fertilizer in winter however, it needs a slow dosage of fertilizer in summer.

Make a dilute solution of water and fertilizer and release it slowly to the roots of campfire crassula.

Use that dilute solution weekly or monthly in summers depending on the concentration of the solution.

If the concentration of fertilizer is high, then use it monthly otherwise you can use it weekly with low concentration.

campfire plant is not a cold-hardy plant it can’t bear the temperature below 30oF (-1oC).

Its hardiness zone is USDA Zone 10a to 30oF.

It can’t survive in real winter keep it indoor if you are living in a very cold place.

On the other hand, it can’t survive the intense solar radiation and high temperature because it can burn out the leaves of this succulent.

So you have to find out a place where the temperature is moderate.

I suggest you keep place it in a window where plenty of light is available.

Whenever you feel that temperature rises from -1oF in the afternoon. Then expose your campfire crassula to direct sunlight for 5-6 hours.

it is necessary to repot your campfire crassula after a certain time because due to watering, soil losses nutrients with the passage of time, that’s why your plant needs new soil with nutrients. 

also, repotting will give you the proper analysis of the roots of any succulent which will help you to identify whether your plant is healthy or not and gives you a proper measurement of roots.

 Here is the step by step guide to repotting your crassula capitella campfire 

 

 STEP 1:  gently remove the dry and old soil from the crassula capitella 

 STEP 2:  remove all the old soil from the roots, by shaking it.

 IMPORTANT: STEP 3:  remove all the infected and dead roots with a knife.

 STEP 4:  treat all the cuts with any with neem oil or any fungicide.

 STEP 5:  put the plant in a new pot and fill it with a well-draining potting mix
soil and leave it for one week until the roots become dry.

 STEP 6: after one week water it lightly doesn’t overwater it may lead to root
rot.

Propagation of crassula capetella 

Propagation not only multiply your succulents but it also helps your plant to the mother plant to make a big and healthy roseate.

Keep propagate your succulents once you feel that your plants are ready to propagate it will help you to make multiple succulent.

Crassula campfire can be propagated from both stem and seeds

Stem cutting is a very easy method to re-grow another crassula campfire, just you need to use a knife or pair of scissors to remove the stem and place it in a well-drained potting mix soil.

 Here is the step by step guide for stem propagation 

 

 STEP 1:  select a healthy stem and use a pair of scissors or a knife to remove it.use the container or pot with a drainage hole

 STEP 2:  After cutting the stem leave it for 2-3 days in a dry and de

Moisturized area so that it can be hardened a bit.

 IMPORTANT: STEP 3:  put it in well-drained soil after 2-3 days and don’t water it

for 2-3 Weeks.

 STEP 4:  After 2-3 weeks pour a little amount of water once the soil

becomes too dry

propagation from seeds is not an easy method I don’t recommend you to

grow a new plant from seeds because it takes a lot of time.

However, stem propagation is very simple just you need to remove the healthy leaf, place it on well-drained soil until it becomes mature

Sometime Campfire crassula can’t survive the attack of mealybugs and other large insects.

Specially mealybugs love to play and hide in the leaves of this plant because it has closely compact leaves.

Mealybugs and other insects are not only the reasons for diseases in this plant, overwatering, poor quality soil and low temperature are also reasons for several diseases.

If you found that healthy leaves of your plant become curled and found some cottony like white particles on leaves then your plant must be attacked by mealybugs.

Don’t get nervous.

There are many ways to keep save your crassula capitella campfire. Your first step is to keep your succulent away from that area and place it at a safe place.

After that wash it with neem oil or wash it with a spray that has 70% isopropyl alcohol and wash it with water after some time.

Repeat this process for 3-4 days this will heel your crassula campfire.

how to achieve and maintain the bright colour of Crassula capitella

it is not a challenge to grow crassula capitella and keep it alive because this is a strong plant that can grow and survive in many conditions.

However, the big challenge is to achieve the bright colour of crassula campfire and maintain it for a long time.

to achieve and maintain the bright colour you must have the concept of stressing the plant.

Don’t get confused stress is not a bad thing it can make your succulents, even more, hardier and improve the survival rate. Little stress will make your succulent stronger and brighter in colour.

Slightly high temperatures, low watering and prolong exposure of sunlight will activate the mechanism of your succulent to survive better in even harsh conditions.

Here are some tips to achieve and maintain the bright colour of campfire crassula. Increase the sunlight exposer of your crassula campfire slowly and gradually more sunlight exposure will provide a more vibrant and bright color.

I suggest you increase the sunlight exposure of your succulent slowly and gradually, it will make your plant stronger day by day.

Plant it in fertile soil like desert soil. Keep give it the exposure of cold nights but make sure temperature is not below then 30oF.

 USES of crassula campfire 

Final thoughts

Crassula campfire is the fast-growing succulent just you need to do proper care of it. Most of the succulent lovers have this plant in their garden due to its beautiful appearance and ability to make succulents arrangement more interesting. 

Though crassula capitella is defensive less against some challenges like mealybugs and cold weather still you can grow it very well and make it happy with proper care.

Beauty achieves with effort, you have to pay attention and make several changes to make your crassula campfire happy.

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