The Hardy Succulent With Fiery Foliage That Thrives In Full Sun

Gardening is a rewarding hobby that enhances your yard, improves your health, and provides a sense of accomplishment. In order to reap the benefits of maintaining a healthy garden, careful planning is required. Different plants have specific growing requirements pertaining to water, soil nutrition, and light conditions. Before planting anything, you will need to determine your soil type and evaluate the amount of natural sunlight your yard gets. If you have a yard with full sun (six or more hours per day), consider planting a hardy succulent with fiery foliage to add a pop of color to your yard or border garden.

Campfire crassula (Crassula capitella 'Campfire') can be grown in containers or in the ground as long as it is placed in full sunlight. The plant grows on a long stem that reaches up to 12 inches tall, topped with a variegated succulent plant that can grow to be 3 feet wide. The leaves display vibrant colors of green, white, red, orange, and pink in the winter.

It's true that campfire crassula is a succulent that thrives in outdoor environments, but it only grows as a hardy perennial in USDA hardiness zones 9 and 10. For gardeners who still want the fiery foliage of the campfire crassula in their plant collection, indoor growing is still an option for this succulent. No matter where you decide to grow it, campfire crassula is considered easy to care for with the right soil and light conditions.

If you choose to grow outdoors, you will need to test your soil to make sure it is fertile. You will also want to make sure you have good-draining soil, or you mix in additives to help improve drainage to prevent the roots from sitting in water. Wait to water until the soil is completely dry. The biggest downfall to growing outside is the plant's hardiness. Campfire crassula will not survive a hard frost, so year-round outdoor growing is only possible in warm, tropical climates.

On the contrary, growing indoors allows you to control the environment and maintain color all year long. You will need a pot, succulent potting mix, and a location with controllable light, heat, and humidity. Like all succulents, indoor planting increases the risk of fungal disease and gnats, especially if you overwater. So, while indoor planting is possible, the plant will thrive best outdoors.

When growing indoors, you will generally need to place your campfire crassula in a location with bright sunlight, constant temperatures between 65 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit, and humidity between 40 and 60%. For hardy, outdoor planting, however, you will want to be a bit more selective. Outdoors, campfire crassula is usually planted as a ground cover or in containers. Select an area that will be protected from harsh elements, but still gets full sun.

Prepare the soil by tilling it and mixing in manure or other fertilizer according to the package instructions. If necessary, mix in any additives like gravel to help with drainage. In the first year or two, water regularly, but only when the surface of the soil is completely dry to avoid overwatering.

If you live in a cooler climate but still want to plant your campfire crassula outdoors, you have two options for overwintering. On the one hand, you could plant it in containers that can be brought indoors in the winter. On the other hand, you could create a plant cover and mulch it through the winter. Campfire crassula will not survive in conditions under 30 degrees Fahrenheit, so your plant covers will need to provide ample protection.