{"title":"Soft Succulents","description":"","products":[{"product_id":"adromischus-hummels-white","title":"Adromischus \"Hummel’s white\"","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe parentage of this popular hybrid remains, as one expert put it, “one of the puzzles of this genus,” though we do know it was created by the late Edward Hummel. Hummel ran one of the first nurseries in the United States devoted to rare succulents, Hummel’s Exotic Plants, which operated in Los Angeles from 1935 to 1978. Beyond running the nursery and contributing frequently to succulent society journals, he was a prolific plant breeder and especially produced a lot of Crassulaceae hybrids, including Echeveria, Crassula, and Adromischus like the one on offer. He passed in 1979, which means this hybrid is at least that old and probably much older, having been kept alive as a single clone propagated via leaf cuttings for over 45 years. In terms of known species, this plant probably most closely matches A. mammillaris but it could be from any number of parents and the flowers don't clearly place it in any of the clearly defined sections.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rare Plant Catalog","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50635099996440,"sku":null,"price":7.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0912\/1175\/9896\/files\/Adromischus__hummel_s_white_6a301610-a5b5-4ea6-87b8-67314c87835e.png?v=1759986645"},{"product_id":"adromischus-little-sphaeroid","title":"Adromischus \"little sphaeroid\"","description":"\u003cp\u003eDespite its colorful name, “little sphaeroid” is not a cultivar but a natural form of Adromischus marianiae, found in the wild in distinct populations that closely match the plants seen in cultivation. Pillbeam’s Adromischus book places it in the marianiae group, describing it as a miniature form that “recently appeared in cultivation” when the book was published in 1998. He notes that its geography and form are closest to the marianiae form “kubusensis,” and that the name reflects the size and shape of the leaves. We also suspect it may nod to our friend and Adromischus authority Steven Hammer’s Sphaeroid Institute. Native to a very arid area near Springbok, it is known from a single ridge. Like all Adromischus, it propagates with remarkable ease from a single leaf.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rare Plant Catalog","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50635100029208,"sku":null,"price":8.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0912\/1175\/9896\/files\/adromischuslittlesphaeroid_0d55f730-9c0b-43d6-b06e-66e8efe2af3c.png?v=1759969482"},{"product_id":"adromischus-triflorus-calico-hearts","title":"Adromischus triflorus \"Calico Hearts\"","description":"\u003cp\u003eAs the story goes, this plant is simply Adromischus triflorus, though Johnson’s Cactus Garden, a nursery active in the 1930s and 40s, had a habit of inventing playful names to help sell plants. One of those was this very clone, first offered as maculatus “calico hearts.” Whatever its true identity, it remains both a fine heart shaped leaf form of the species and a small piece of horticultural history, kept alive as a single plant for over a century. Despite the long presence of this genus in cultivation, “Adros,” as acolytes call them, have slipped back into relative obscurity, absent from big-box store productions and rarely offered by specialist nurseries. In bright light, this triflorus colors with especially vivid red spotting. Tolkien recorded it as the most common Adromischus in the Little Karoo. The precise locality of this clone has likely been lost to time and may no longer exist in the wild.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rare Plant Catalog","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50635100094744,"sku":null,"price":6.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0912\/1175\/9896\/files\/Adromischus_triflorus__Calico_Hearts_0c9f884b-9645-4576-b11b-30176c8ee018.png?v=1759969509"},{"product_id":"anacampseros-baeseckei","title":"Anacampseros baeseckei","description":"\u003cp\u003eFrom the oppressively arid Richtersveld, Anacampseros baeseckei forms a tight cushion of rounded leaves, often purple-flushed and adorned with a small tuft of white wool at the tip of each head. These hairs shed lightly over the older leaves as they descend, giving the plant a cobwebbed appearance. Beneath the beaded foliage, the stems remain completely hidden, branching over time to form a dense mound that sits low against the soil and gradually divides into a small colony of individual heads. In summer it sends up thin bloom spikes with proportionally large magenta flowers, reminiscent of some cacti, to which this genus is more closely related than to any other group of plants. The flowers open briefly in the afternoon and evening, as is typical of Anacampseros (and Avonia). These are seed-grown plants, far less common in cultivation than those propagated by cuttings.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rare Plant Catalog","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50635100651800,"sku":null,"price":6.25,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0912\/1175\/9896\/files\/Anacampseros_baeseckei_873c466e-1844-4c93-be56-1884d979df00.png?v=1759986674"},{"product_id":"anacampseros-namaquensis-pakhais","title":"Anacampseros namaquensis (Pakhais pass)","description":"\u003cp\u003eAnacampseros namaquensis is slow to reach maturity but it is an easy plant to keep, content in a small container for years. Sometimes treated as a subspecies of filamentosa or part of a species gradient, namaquensis is set apart by its distinctly shorter hairs, or “filaments” in the term is used for this genus. The clone we grow comes with location data placing it, somewhat ironically, outside its namesake Namaqualand, in the Cedarberg mountains along the well-known Pakhuis Pass. This stretch of road cuts through an trasitionary zone between two distinct ecosystems, with sandstone blending into the quartzite fields of the Doringrivier valley. The area holds a dense concentration of winter growers, with new species still being described from its more inaccessible hills.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rare Plant Catalog","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50635100717336,"sku":null,"price":7.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0912\/1175\/9896\/files\/Anacampseros_namaquensis_Pakhais_pass_80183aa3-3de9-4306-8761-32486482c38f.png?v=1759969637"},{"product_id":"crassula-alstonii","title":"Crassula alstonii","description":"\u003cp\u003eCrassula alstonii is the finest of the “stacking” Crassula from South Africa. This dwarf succulent makes thick leaves that overlap into spherical heads that remain close to the surface of Namaqualand's quartz sand. Photos of the plants in the wild often show a solitary head, sometimes stressed nearly to the point of being subterreanean. In cultivation, this species has a tendency to get taller and multi-headed, but can be kept somewhat compact with intense light, dry conditions, and cool winters when it will do most of its growing. These are hard-grown plants from seed we collected off our parent stock.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rare Plant Catalog","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50635101798680,"sku":null,"price":24.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0912\/1175\/9896\/files\/crassulaalstonii_3de7bfc5-9052-4897-8768-d677b651c207.png?v=1759986894"},{"product_id":"crassula-barklyi","title":"Crassula barklyi","description":"\u003cp\u003eCrassula barklyi is one of the more curious members of the stacking-leaf Crassulas, a group with a surprisingly wide range of forms for such a distinctive growth habit. This species is among the smallest and most compact, each pair of leaves clasping so tightly over the last that the stem takes on the look of a rattlesnake’s tail, a common name of doubtful authenticity that appears from time to time in print. In time, offsets emerge from the base to form a tidy stand of miniature towers, seldom more than a few inches tall. In its Namaqualand home, it grows between orange quartz pebbles and from cracks in steep, angled boulders. From a distance, it can be mistaken for the many Conophytum species that share its range. Despite its company among some of the more temperamental winter growers, C. barklyi proves accommodating in cultivation, asking little more than the ordinary care given to its commoner kin and their hybrids.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rare Plant Catalog","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50635101864216,"sku":null,"price":15.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0912\/1175\/9896\/files\/crassulabarklyi_ddfa040c-3a88-4efb-88c8-aa4ee1f64f1f.png?v=1759972176"},{"product_id":"crassula-elegans","title":"Crassula elegans ssp. namibensis","description":"\u003cp\u003eCrassula elegans is a great entry point into the lesser-known flora of South Africa's Namaqualand. Like some of its close relatives that rank among the most represented plants in succulent cultivation, it is about as low-maintenance as a plant can get. It differs from its more ubiquitous cousins in being poorly represented in collections, likely passed over in favor of faster-growing, mass-produced species like Crassula columnella or hybrids such as “Moonglow.” This is one of the most variable stacked-leaf Crassula and also among the most widespread, occurring throughout winter-growing Namaqualand, especially near the border with Bushmanland. Each population has its own slight differences in leaf size, shape, color, and especially texture. We grow two very distinct forms: one with a powdery blue coating, the other bright green and covered in a bumpy, almost crystalline texture. These were once treated as separate, still-variable subspecies, but microscope analysis showed the bumps to be tiny hairs rather than true papillae protruding from the surface. They are now recognized as a single, highly variable species, with some populations more disparate from each other than certain recognized species in the group. Despite its winter rainfall origin, it is a dependable all-year grower adaptable enough to fit into any commercial succulent arrangement without objection\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rare Plant Catalog","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50635101929752,"sku":null,"price":12.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0912\/1175\/9896\/files\/crassulaelegans_ff1a369c-0874-4c7c-8b2a-aef2efda256b.png?v=1759972207"},{"product_id":"crassula-perfoliata","title":"Crassula perfoliata var. coccinea","description":"\u003cp\u003eCrassula perfoliata, once widely known to 18th-century florists as “Rochea falcata,” has been grown in pots for more than three centuries. By 1887, pioneering plant biologists were studying its leaf surface under high magnification, describing silica-hardened bladder cells that lock together to seal in moisture and account for its drought tolerance despite the large leaf surface area. Through the turn of the century it was a fixture in florist shops and on country estates, valued for vivid midsummer flowers, though many growers found them more reluctant than promised, and by the 1930s it had slipped from common cultivation. Though it never fully disappeared from the trade, it has been kept alive in specialist collections with occasional appearances on the mainstream nursery circuit. As its long history suggests, this plant has always been easy to grow, even before the word “succulent” entered common use. We grow it in full sun, unprotected from triple-digit temperatures and winter rains.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rare Plant Catalog","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50635101995288,"sku":null,"price":24.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0912\/1175\/9896\/files\/crassulaperfoliata_8e4c586c-a7fa-4afe-95c8-15323ae7a254.png?v=1759972215"},{"product_id":"crassula-sarcocaulis","title":"Crassula sarcocaulis","description":"\u003cp\u003ePeople are often quick to mistake Crassula sarcocaulis for something from a more caudiciform genus like Tylecodon or even a shrubby Sedum, but it’s a true Crassula with a natural bonsai quality that develops faster than any other miniature tree we grow. In the wild it ranges from the rocky slopes of the Drakensberg Mountains in South Africa north into Zimbabwe, often rooted into crevices which stunt its growth and keep old plants compact. In cultivation it’s adaptable and looks good all year, provided it has enough light. The epithet “sarcocaulis” means thick-stemmed, and with time this species lives up to it, developing a gnarled trunk with tight branching that can be shaped into a fine bonsai with little effort. In frost-free climates it works well as a small-scale landscape shrub, and in summer it’s ornamented with dense clusters of tiny pink flowers that pull in pollinators. These are plants we’ve trained from a young age to maximize their bonsai potential.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rare Plant Catalog","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50635102060824,"sku":null,"price":24.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0912\/1175\/9896\/files\/crassulasarcocaulis_ff33fb05-32f4-440d-80be-de2fb7d3b3a0.png?v=1759972235"},{"product_id":"crassula-tecta","title":"Crassula tecta","description":"\u003cp\u003eCrassula tecta is a compact winter grower from South Africa’s Little Karoo, found on gentle gravelly slopes from Montagu to Oudtshoorn and east toward Willowmore. It forms tight cushions of leaves so densely coated in white wax they appear frosted, an adaptation that serves as both camouflage and sunscreen against the dry summer sun. This predilection for concealment makes its presence among white quartz rock unsurprising, although the occasional maroon stress coloring blends just as well with the contrasting orange sand. Known in European collections since at least the 18th century, its charm and fuss-free nature have kept it well represented in cultivation, further evidenced by the number of hybrids that count this species among their parents\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rare Plant Catalog","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50635102093592,"sku":null,"price":9.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0912\/1175\/9896\/files\/crassulatecta_8114ac2c-cef0-4abb-aeab-03ea753c5549.png?v=1759972244"},{"product_id":"kleinia-obesa","title":"Kleinia obesa","description":"\u003cp\u003eIt's a wonder this species has made it this far existing in the wild, being as conspicuous as it is and also slightly delicious-looking, at least to fans of cucumbers and their brined companions, which the common name \"pickle plant\" is clearly inspired by. Often incorrectly reported as growing on the southern coast of Yemen, this species was actually described at a high elevation on the mountain Jabal al Arus just inland near the historic city of Taizz, where it’s reported to be very rare. We find it to be forgiving in cultivation and capable of handling cooler, wetter winters than its location would suggest, possibly indicating close relation to similar Senecio species thousands of miles away in South Africa like stapeliformis. The names Kleinia obesa and Senecio deflersii are considered synonymous.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rare Plant Catalog","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50635107631384,"sku":null,"price":34.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0912\/1175\/9896\/files\/kleiniaobesa_4e962a0c-c78c-4fa6-b639-c613d079d90d.png?v=1759978109"},{"product_id":"pedilanthus-macrocarpus-crest","title":"Pedilanthus macrocarpus crest","description":"\u003cp\u003eThis crested form of the common “Lady’s Slipper” is one of the more novel fasciations sought after by collectors. Unlike the regular Pedilanthus macrocarpus (and anything else in the plant kingdom), this mutation produces unpredictably contorted, flattened stems that eventually form a sprawling shrub of appreciable size, mixing funky shapes with the occasional stretch of classic linear growth. We propagate it by selecting cuttings with the most interesting shapes and rooting them individually, each with its own personality. Please note that you may receive a plant with a radically different form than what is pictured, but that is part of the fun. What you can always expect is a flattened green stem that twists and folds over itself. We like to imagine what shapes they resemble, much like watching clouds. An easy plant to grow, the standard form is often sold in big-box stores across the country, usually slotted between succulents and landscape shrubs.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rare Plant Catalog","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50635112415512,"sku":null,"price":68.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0912\/1175\/9896\/files\/pedilanthusmacrocarpuscrest_7c0b42a1-8165-41c9-9927-8d7b8d8d9e32.png?v=1759978523"},{"product_id":"portulaca-elatior","title":"Portulaca elatior","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe identification of this species is tentative. A trusted expert suggested this name as the closest match we’ve found for an unusual and charming Portulaca we grew from seed of unknown origin. It is almost certainly related to that species, eruca, or another succulent Portulaca of South American origin. Regardless, it has proven fast growing and full of horticultural merit, with thin little succulent leaves and super fuzzy branches. If it is indeed P. eliator, seemingly unrepresented in cultivation, we suspect it will form a small tuberous caudex with time. The species is native to Brazil’s Caatinga biome, one of the most fascinating and understudied ecosystems in the world. We’ll update this listing if more information becomes available.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rare Plant Catalog","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50635113398552,"sku":null,"price":12.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0912\/1175\/9896\/files\/Portulaca_elatior_e78fd6c7-177c-4988-b6b9-bcc65145b100.png?v=1759978715"},{"product_id":"sinocrassula-yunnanensis","title":"Sinocrassula yunnanensis","description":"\u003cp\u003eSinocrassula yunnanensis is unique among soft succulents in several ways, most noticeably for its compact rosettes of delicate velvety leaves that can turn nearly jet black in strong light. It is also one of the few true succulents from China, native to Yunnan, a province better known for ancient tea plantations and hills enveloped in clouds than for drought-tolerant plants, yet home to a number of unusual alpine and subalpine species. In nature this species grows in thin pockets of soil at high elevations on steep slopes, where the temperate but intense summer monsoons are offset by bright, frosty winters. White, star-shaped flowers appear over the rosettes in late spring, but it's the dark foliage and improbable origin that make this species worth keeping.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rare Plant Catalog","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50635114479896,"sku":null,"price":6.5,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0912\/1175\/9896\/files\/sinocrassula_a119a621-7839-4475-ba0d-3b31a4881fbd.png?v=1760469867"},{"product_id":"adromischus-marianiae-ssp-herrei","title":"Adromischus marianiae ssp. herrei","description":"\u003cp\u003eThere is such an exciting amount of variation in Adromischus that many collectors exclusively seek out hybrids and species of this genus. Many of those specialists even focus mostly on A. marianiae (sometimes spelled marianae), arguably a species complex that Tölken reduced to synonym simply because the various representatives are much more like each other than anything else in the genus. Closely related to Tylecodon and Cotyledon, and a distinctive member of the expansive Crassulaceae in the winter rainfall district of South Africa, A. marianiae shows an almost bewildering range of leaf shapes, colors, textures and habits in habitat. In the Adromischus monograph by Pilbeam, Rodgerson and Tribble, they explain that the originally described marianiae itself can vary from smooth grey green to bluish shades depending on locality, while other populations range from small dark spheres to rusty red, bright red or nearly black leaves covered in raised tubercles. Many of the names growers still use represent variants described long before they were lumped together, and even these cover only part of the true diversity.\u003cbr\u003e\nWithin this sprawl, herrei remains one of the most recognizable A. marianiae forms. True plants from the Nutabooi and Maerpoort area stay very small and compact, with thick, tubercled leaves that shift from greenish to deep red or almost black, far rougher and more sculptural than most marianiae forms.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rare Plant Catalog","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50903090331928,"sku":null,"price":11.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0912\/1175\/9896\/files\/herrei.png?v=1763688878"},{"product_id":"aeonium-sedifolium","title":"Aeonium sedifolium","description":"\u003cp\u003eEndemic to the island of Tenerife in the Canary Islands, Aeonium sedifolium is one of the overlooked members of this popular garden store genus. It is a truly miniature species and works well as a lesser-seen addition to a classic potted succulent arrangement or as an accent in a Mediterranean rock garden. Aeonium sit in a strange pocket between overproduced and underappreciated, with garden-center hybrids of muddled origin sold mostly for their color displays. People are often surprised when they see photos of the genus in habitat, since they share the same cryptic allure as many collector favorites like cacti, conophytum, or dudleya. True to its name, the tight red and green leaves recall sedum found across much of the world. This plant prefers cooler temperatures and less water during the hottest part of summer, and it should be shielded from direct sun once temperatures climb above 90 to avoid summer dieback.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rare Plant Catalog","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50903094034712,"sku":null,"price":9.5,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0912\/1175\/9896\/files\/sedifolium_6ef26a27-9df2-44d3-8d82-bbe9bc94e4d7.png?v=1763685954"},{"product_id":"aeonium-spathulatum","title":"Aeonium spathulatum","description":"\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThis unusual miniature species is native to the Canary Islands, occurring on Gran Canaria, Tenerife, La Gomera, La Palma, and El Hierro. During the summer months, as heat radiates off volcanic rock, the lanky stems wedge themselves into crevices and the small rosettes curl inward into tight balls, a response that helps protect the delicate leaves from sun and heat. Aeonium spathulatum is a true winter grower that does not tolerate sustained heat or regular summer water and requires a dry dormancy period. With the return of cooler weather, the plant re-emerges as a lush miniature shrub, producing tiny, spotted succulent leaves along the new growth. In spring it blooms with a profusion of small yellow flowers.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rare Plant Catalog","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50903094067480,"sku":null,"price":16.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0912\/1175\/9896\/files\/aeonium.png?v=1769990942"},{"product_id":"crassula-columnaris-ssp-prolifera","title":"Crassula columnaris ssp. prolifera","description":"\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCrassula columnaris is a dwarf species widespread across Namaqualand and southern Namibia. Unlike many of its quartz-dwelling doppelgängers, such as Crassula alstonii, this species is famously monocarpic, meaning it dies after completing flowering. While that alone can be enough to put some people off, we find the ephemerality part of its charm, and a humbling reminder of how precarious desert life really is. Despite its apparent disadvantages, the species persists year after year through successful reseeding. The subspecies offered here, Crassula columnaris subsp. prolifera, thankfully produces small basal offsets that detach once the parent plant dies. These offsets reroot close to the original plant, forming compact clusters in habitat rather than dispersing widely. The type form, C. columnaris subsp. columnaris, is typically biennial and reproduces only by seed, completing its life cycle after flowering. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eFlower picture for example. You will receive a plant similar to the second picture. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rare Plant Catalog","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51597531808024,"sku":null,"price":32.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0912\/1175\/9896\/files\/prolifera.png?v=1780701465"},{"product_id":"crassula-orbicularis","title":"Crassula orbicularis","description":"\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCrassula orbicularis is a seldom-seen, cliff-dwelling species from a region of South Africa particularly rich in this genus. While it resembles several more familiar, widely grown species, it maintains a curious aerial habit, dividing through above-ground stolons. Despite this, the flat rosettes tend to press themselves against whatever surface they’re growing on, whether that’s a potting mix or a lithophytic mount for growers interested in pushing it toward a rock-mounted presentation reminiscent of Pinguicula. The species is native to the southern coast of South Africa and extends northward along the eastern coastline.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rare Plant Catalog","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51597532070168,"sku":null,"price":12.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0912\/1175\/9896\/files\/crassulaorbicularis.png?v=1769985772"},{"product_id":"dudleya-variegata","title":"Dudleya variegata","description":"\u003cp\u003eThis dainty Dudleya is probably not what most people picture when they think of the genus. Subsection Hasseanthus includes enough distinct species that it was once treated as its own genus, containing several true geophytes that shed their leaves for the summer and retreat to underground tubers. It’s a bit surprising this group isn’t better known among enthusiasts of South African bulbs, given how much they share in common, and the fact that they represent some of the few native Californian succulents. Dudleya variegata is locally endemic to a narrow range from San Diego south into the Tijuana area, a region that likely supported far more plants than were ever formally documented before development. More attention has recently been paid to its more charismatic relative, Dudleya brevifolia, but we find D. variegata compelling in its own right, resembling a combination of the half-buried, mesemb-like habit of D. brevifolia and the more familiar dwarf, leaf-succulent species such as D. gnoma.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rare Plant Catalog","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51626621042968,"sku":null,"price":18.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0912\/1175\/9896\/files\/dudelyavariegata.png?v=1769990432"},{"product_id":"decarya-madagascariensis","title":"Decarya madagascariensis","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDecarya madagascar is a xerophytic shrub from Madagascar that makes a sprawling mass of zig-zagged green branches, reminiscent of something from Alice in Wonderland. If South Africa is know for the inexplicable phenomenon of curling leaves, Madagascar should be know for its zig-zagging spiny branches, an adaptation that repeats itself across a multitude of unrelated and otherwise entirely different plants. The majority of these plants are native to the spiny forests of Southeastern Madagascar, where dense fog shrouds this otherwise dry ecoregion throughout the year. It's theorized that this growth pattern is an adaptation cleverly designed to catch this moisture and let droplets accumulate around the spiny points, eventually dropping into the soil to slowly irrigate the plants. This species is one of the rarer and more sought after plants from this ecoregion, probably because it embodies this trait so clearly and only gets better with age. We find this species to be relatively easy to grow but wants a lot more water than its habitat suggests, needing regular waterings to keep the green branches dotted with succulent green leaves. It will still photosynthesize without them, so we find it essential to give a little bit of moisture even while its not in active growth.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rare Plant Catalog","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51954370674968,"sku":null,"price":40.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0912\/1175\/9896\/files\/decaryamadagascarensis.png?v=1776321360"},{"product_id":"dudleya-brittonii","title":"Dudleya brittonii","description":"\u003cp\u003eThis Baja native is from just south of the border, making it a California native to those of us considering ecosystem over geographic territories. Despite being arguably the most common Dudleya species in cultivation, it’s actually from a relatively narrow range, growing only between Tijuana and Ensenada along the coast, where it embeds itself in the steep volcanic cliffs. Given its proximity to densely populated urban areas, and the fact existing specimens are relegated to the most inaccessible and undevelopable areas, it’s not unreasonable to imagine that this species once extended well into present day California before the residents of San Diego County claimed the valuable oceanfront property for themselves. Regardless, it’s persisted well in collections over decades, probably thanks to its relative ease of cultivation and the fact it’s possibly the largest-growing plant in the genus. We find it to be quick growing and a fabulous entry for California native gardeners and succulent collectors searching for deeper connection to nature than mass-produced cultivars bred to be colorful. The blue leaves covered with a powdery farina are elegant nonetheless, and we especially appreciate the skirt of dead foliage that forms on older specimens, giving the plant more character as it ages.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rare Plant Catalog","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51954371428632,"sku":null,"price":14.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0912\/1175\/9896\/files\/dudleyabritonii.png?v=1776321364"},{"product_id":"crassula-columella","title":"Crassula columella","description":"\u003cp\u003eAlthough this used to be one of the more common Crassula species available, the mass market succulent producers have overlooked Crassula columella recently in favor of hybrids derived from it like Crassula “Buddha’s Temple”. This happens often, as common species fade from ubiquity in favor of more vigorous or new-looking cultivars. While we wouldn’t call this stacking species a rare one, it certainly has not been produced at the level that it used to be. That is a real shame, given how easy it is to divide and grow into a mature-looking plant with striking stress coloration and fractal-like geometry. While some may be deterred by the bunches of dead leaves that form around the base of old plants, we find this only adds to the charm and gives them a time-worn look. From the northernmost part of South Africa and southern Namibia, where it receives little rainfall.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rare Plant Catalog","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51965001367832,"sku":null,"price":12.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0912\/1175\/9896\/files\/crassulacolumella_189c9802-ee59-4b86-b771-235df73cd23b.png?v=1776464325"},{"product_id":"dracaena-cinnabari","title":"Dracaena cinnabari","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe famous “dragon tree” of Socotra, this species is surprisingly poorly represented in cultivation despite being one of the most widespread and well-known endemic plants from this island off the coast of Yemen, often regarded as the “Galapagos Islands for plant life” due to its astonishing array of unusual endemic species. The prevalence of this species across the island has made it the umbrella species for conservationists working to preserve its unique flora, due to the fact that protecting any Dracaena cinnabari habitat would consequently preserve the habitat of any other rare endemic. The slow rate of growth is likely the reason this species is much rarer in cultivation than some species that are much less common in the wild, like Dorstenia gigas. Those who have even seen this species offered for sale will likely recognize the plant on offer as relatively “large,” with fully grown trees being almost entirely unseen anywhere but the island. Despite being slow-growing, this species isn’t particularly hard to cultivate if given enough root space in an almost soil-free mix and ample water during the growing season.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rare Plant Catalog","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52136550760728,"sku":null,"price":325.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0912\/1175\/9896\/files\/dracaenacinnabari.png?v=1780531352"},{"product_id":"cistanthe-guadalupensis","title":"Cistanthe guadalupensis","description":"\u003cp\u003eCistanthe guadalupensis might not look like one of the rarest or most special plants we offer at first glance, but for us, these seed-grown plants easily qualify as both. Habitat photos from its native Guadalupe Island easily prove why, showing this true caudiciform with its thick, club-like branches windswept against the red volcanic substrate. One of the most iconic inhabitants of the biodiversity hotspot off the coast of Baja California, this species is known only from one small part of the remote island and resembles little else in the genus or among other flora of the region. Guadalupe Island is famous for its dozens of endemic plant and animal species, many of which were threatened by human-introduced goats until the island was designated a biosphere reserve in 2005. Since then, the goat population has been entirely eradicated and the island has been closed to visitors, resulting in many of the endangered species rebounding in a very short time. Cistanthe guadalupensis has remained exceedingly rare in cultivation and is typically offered only as a cutting, if sold at all. We’re very excited to be offering seed-grown examples, each of which is already making a thick caudex and will become an exemplary specimen with age.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rare Plant Catalog","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52458573857048,"sku":null,"price":55.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0912\/1175\/9896\/files\/cistantheguadalupensis.png?v=1785377123"},{"product_id":"sarcocaulon-inerme","title":"Sarcocaulon inerme","description":"\u003cp\u003eOf all the plants we grow, these Sarcocaulon inerme seedlings are among our proudest achievements and represent the fruition of years spent tracking down parent material and painstakingly propagating it. This member of the highly sought-after “Bushman’s candles” is so rare that few collectors are even familiar with it, despite it also being one of the most attractive members of the genus. Sarcocaulon inerme is named for its spineless stems, a trait it shares with S. peniculinum and S. multifidum, but it has distinct wavy foliage covered with velvety fuzz and bordered by a translucent, almost crystalline margin that glimmers in the light. This species is just as rare in the wild, being known from an extremely harsh locality near the Orange River in Namibia on a hillside that’s mined for lead and zinc. The area is rich in Sarcocaulon species and receives scant rainfall, influenced by both the winter-rainfall climate of Namaqualand to the south and the summer-rainfall Namibian and Angolan deserts to the north. We treat these as opportunistic growers and continue watering when they are in leaf, regardless of conditions. During the extreme heat these plants would experience in Namibia, their leaves fold to protect the surface and open again when conditions are opportune. We are releasing only a few seedlings of this spectacular species, which has garnered mythic status among collectors seeking the rarest of rare plants.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rare Plant Catalog","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52458574184728,"sku":null,"price":150.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0912\/1175\/9896\/files\/sarcocauloninerme.png?v=1785376981"},{"product_id":"crassula-prince-albert","title":"Crassula \"Prince Albert\"","description":"\u003cp\u003eThis unnamed Crassula is a recently discovered sp. nova collected near Prince Albert, South Africa, by prolific British botanist Chris Rogerson, whose “CR” collection numbers accompany many mesembs now in cultivation. We originally received it from our equally well-regarded friend Steven Hammer, who remarked that the species is too distinct to suggest an obvious relative anywhere within this sprawling genus. Prince Albert lies in a rural inland region within the summer-rainfall portion of the Succulent Karoo. To our eyes, the plant somewhat resembles a smaller, bright-green Crassula clavata, but with upright leaves shaped like stubby fingers. It requires very little water and can rot easily when kept perpetually damp, although we have found it easy to propagate from individual leaves.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rare Plant Catalog","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52676288020760,"sku":null,"price":12.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0912\/1175\/9896\/files\/crassulaprincealbert.png?v=1789327892"},{"product_id":"commiphora-kua","title":"Commiphora kua","description":"\u003cp\u003eCommiphora kua is one of the most widespread members of a genus famous for producing the biblical myrrh, an incense of immense historical and religious significance. Its range extends throughout Northeast Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, and the island of Socotra, where it is especially abundant. Although the exact botanical source of the myrrh traded 2,000 years ago remains uncertain, several Commiphora species continue to be economically important exports. C. kua is among them, producing a resin said to have a spicier fragrance than the traditional myrrh associated with Commiphora myrrha. It is also more common in cultivation than C. myrrha, thanks to its generous seed production and ease of germination. The two species share notably spiny branches, a feature that appears only infrequently elsewhere in this genus. An easy to grow and very drought tolerant candidate for untraditional bonsai.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rare Plant Catalog","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52676288348440,"sku":null,"price":60.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0912\/1175\/9896\/files\/commiphorakua.png?v=1789327614"}],"url":"https:\/\/rareplantcatalog.com\/collections\/type-succulents.oembed?page=2","provider":"Rare Plant Catalog","version":"1.0","type":"link"}