Crassula orbicularis stolon-linked plantlets

When new, vegetatively produced Crassula orbicularis plantlets on stolons grow from a mother rosette, they may be short on nutrients until they can fend for themselves on own root systems. The stress caused by this temporary deficiency turns the leaves yellow or purplish red.

Flowers and seeds are also produced by C. orbicularis plants in the normal way, but these belt and braces multi-method precautions form part of the plant’s survival strategies.

Life is too precious a gift to relinquish without the best fight a species is capable of, given its nature, resources and opportunities (Smith, et al, 2017; Vlok and Schutte-Vlok, 2015).