Crassula decumbens
Scilly pigmyweed
Southern Australia and southern Africa
SunFull Sun – Part Shade
Overview
Crassula decumbens is a tiny annual succulent herb that grows only 0.4-3 inches (1-8 cm) tall, with slender reddish stems that lie along the ground before turning up at the tips. The fleshy leaves are paired, narrow, and 0.1-0.3 inch (3-8 mm) long, often flushing red in sun or as the soil dries. Minute white to pale pink flowers, less than 0.1 inch (2 mm) across, sit in the leaf axils in spring. The whole plant completes its life cycle in a single season, germinating after autumn or winter rain and setting seed before summer drought. It grows in shallow soils over rock, on seasonally damp flats, and at the margins of granite outcrops, where competition from larger plants is low. The species is native to Australia and southern Africa and has naturalized in parts of Europe. Its very small size means it is grown mainly by succulent and alpine-trough enthusiasts rather than in general garden beds, and it can pass unnoticed among larger plants.
Native Range
Crassula decumbens is native to Australia and southern Africa, growing across southern Australia in seasonally wet, shallow soils. It is found on granite outcrops, rocky flats, and the edges of ephemeral wetlands, and has naturalized in parts of western Europe.Suggested Uses
Grown in alpine troughs, shallow succulent pans, and gritty rock-garden pockets where small plants are not overgrown. Used by collectors of miniature and ephemeral succulents. Sown thinly, as plants are only a few centimeters across.How to Identify
Appearance
Size & Dimensions
Height1" - 3"
Width/Spread1" - 4"
Bloom Information
Minute white to pale pink flowers open in spring, roughly September to November in the native range, after autumn and winter rains have triggered growth. The flowers are easily overlooked against the small leaves. Seed sets quickly and the plant dies back as the soil dries.
Detailed Descriptions
Flower Description
White to pale pinkFoliage Description
Green flushing redGrowing Conditions
Sun Requirements
Requires 4-10 hours of direct sunlight daily
• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight
• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight
• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight
Water & Climate
Water Needs
Drought Tolerance
Drought tolerant when established
Care & Maintenance
Care Guide
Crassula decumbens grows in full sun to light shade in shallow, gritty, free-draining soil that is moist in winter and dry in summer. As a winter-growing annual, it is sown or self-seeds in autumn and completes growth by early summer. It needs no feeding and rots in soils that stay wet once the weather warms. Cold tolerance covers light frost, roughly USDA zones 9-11, but the plant survives summer as seed rather than living growth. In cultivation it suits shallow pans, troughs, and the gritty margins of a rock garden.Pruning
No pruning is needed for this small annual. Spent plants can be cleared once they have shed seed in early summer. Allowing seed to drop maintains the planting from year to year.Container Growing
✓ Suitable for container growing
Minimum container size: 1 gallons
✓ Toxicity
Non-toxicPlanting Guide
Planting Methods & Timing
Planting Method
direct sow
Direct Sow Timing
Autumn
Plant Spacing
2 inches