Buddha’s Temple Crassula

Buddha's Temple crassula (Crassula 'Buddha's Temple') is one of the few succulents that looks genuinely architectural at 15cm high. Stacked grey-green leaves fold tightly around the stem into a square column, like a small pagoda, and the whole plant stays under 15cm across. It is slow, it is neat, and it asks for almost nothing beyond sun and sharp drainage.

Why you'll love it

• A shape nothing else matches. The tightly stacked, four sided columns are why collectors chase this hybrid. It is a talking point on a table, not just another succulent.
• It stays genuinely tiny. Around 15cm tall and 15cm wide at maturity, so a 100mm pot suits it for years.
• Flowers reward the patient. Mature columns produce dense pink and red flower heads that sit right on top of the stack.
• Heat and drought are non-events. It is built for hot, dry, bright conditions and resents attention more than neglect.

Where it works best

Pots and containers. This is the main use, and a shallow 100mm to 150mm pot in a gritty mix is ideal. Wide and shallow beats deep, because the roots are fine and the mix needs to dry quickly.

Rockeries and feature planting. In arid, Mediterranean and dry subtropical gardens it can go into a raised gravel rockery, where sharp drainage and reflected warmth bring out the best colour in the leaf edges.

Growing Buddha's Temple crassula in Australia

Position and climate. Bright light with three to five hours of direct morning sun gives the tightest stacking. Too little light and the columns stretch and lose their shape. It suits subtropical, warm temperate, arid and Mediterranean gardens outdoors. It is frost tender, so cool temperate gardens need it potted and under cover for winter, and humid tropical summers cause rot.

Soil. A cactus and succulent mix opened up further with coarse sand or perlite, roughly half grit by volume. A drainage hole is not optional. Standard potting mix will kill it.

Water and feed. Soak thoroughly, then let the mix dry all the way through: roughly every two to three weeks in the warm months, monthly or less in winter. Water at the base, because water trapped between the stacked leaves is the fastest route to rot. A half strength liquid feed twice over spring and summer is ample.

What to expect when it arrives

This one is grown as tube stock. A tube is a young plant, typically a single column 4 to 8cm high with the characteristic stacking already visible. It is a slow grower, so expect two to three years to reach its full 15cm and start flowering. That slowness is the point: the shape stays perfect the whole way.

Succulents travel better than almost anything else we send, because the leaves carry their own water reserve. Leave it dry for a week after it arrives before the first water, and pot it into a gritty mix rather than garden soil. Delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Browse the full succulent range
• Growing ripple jade and other crassulas
• Succulents chosen for hot, dry gardens
• Plants that suit a gravel rockery

Common questions

Is it safe for cats and dogs?

No. Crassulas are toxic to cats and dogs, and chewing the leaves can cause vomiting, lethargy and an unsteady gait. Keep it on a high shelf or an outdoor table if your pets sample plants.

Why has mine stretched and lost its square shape?

Not enough light. The columns elongate and the leaves space out when the plant is reaching. Move it somewhere brighter. The stretched section will not re-compact, but new growth will stack tightly again.

How often should I water it?

Every two to three weeks in the warm months, and monthly or less through winter, always letting the mix dry right through first. Water at the soil, never over the stacked leaves.