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Crassula “GOLLUM”
Very nice ornamentals and succulent bonsai that develops a
much-prized large and beautiful tunk.
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Description: The Crassula cv.
'Gollum' is a very compact plant considered a hybrid of C. x
portulacea by some experts. (a supposed cross between
Crassula argentea and C. lactea).
This is a similar cultivar to the earlier Jade cultivar 'Hobbit'
but where 'Hobbit' leaves are curled back around, while the
cultivar 'Gollum' has leaves that are nearly tubular and
appear to be tipped with a suction cup reminiscent of the J.R.R. Tolkein
character by the same name.
Both 'Gollum' and 'Hobbit' are interesting
plants with trunks that becomes thick with age and developing
interesting stem patterns. This two cultivars has been considered to be
identical and people confused one to each other and now plants in the
the trade and collection are variously and often improperly named. But
whatever named, it's a nice variation on the jade.
Habit: It is a small sparingly branched, shrubby, erect,
succulent, that can slowly grow up to 50-80 cm tall by 30-60 cm wide.
Stem: It has a stout succulent, segmented, branching trunk, it
can be shaped to create spectacular bonsai forms.
Leaves: Tubular, trumpet shaped, each of them tipped with a
"suction cup", 4-ranked (decussate), smooth, deep glossy green in color
with very light spotting usually with bright red leaf margins; the new
growth is red.
Flower: In clusters, small, star-like, white or pinkish-white,
with pink stamens.
Blooming season: Late fall to early winter. |
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Cultivation: Crassula 'Gollum' is great for container culture
and Bonsai cultivation, and the trunk becomes very thick with age and
develops interesting patterns. Young plants will quadruple in size in
one year only. It need full sun to partial shade and a
well-drained soil mix. In the greenhouse use a very draining compost.
Plants should be well watered and allowed to dry thoroughly before
watering again. Fertilize them once during the growing season with a
balanced fertilizer diluted to one half the recommended strength. Must
over-winter in greenhouse or indoors (with lots of light). During the
winter months, plants are watered only enough to keep the leaves from
shriveling. The most common reason for failure in growing these plants
is overwatering. Seldom has any diseases only the mealy bugs like it,
and tend to attack around the primary flowering time (winter to early
spring), hardy to -1° C.
Propagation: It is propagated by leaf and stem
cuttings. Offsets are readily available and cuttings roots easily, it
also propagate by leaf-cuttings and often leaves fallen/broken off will
self-sow at the base.
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Crassula ovata cultivars:
- Crassula ovata 'Convoluta Gollum' = 'Gollum'
- Crassula ovata 'Convoluta Hobbit' = 'Hobbit'
- Crassula ovata 'Coral' or 'Coralle' = 'Gollum'
or similar mutation (Form with leaves fushed into coral-like tubes,
apices truncate)
- Crassula ovata 'Dwarf Hobbit' (A listed name. There
are both smaller and larger variants of 'Gollum' and
'Hobbit', some not very distinct indeed.)
- Crassula ovata 'Finger Jade' = 'Gollum' (A listed
name. It should be noted that 'Lady Fingers' is a very distinct
clone from 'Gollum'. )
- Crassula ovata 'Gandalff' (Form with fused leaf, the
name being a takeoff on 'Hobbit' . Distinctions not yet reported.)
- Crassula ovata 'Giant Gollum' ='Green Giant Coral'
(As 'Gollum' but larger overall)
- Crassula ovata 'Gollum' ['Golumn', 'Convulata Gollum',
C. x portulacea f. monstrosa] ( Leaves rolled into a tube,
usually with one part protecting longer than the other margin. Tips
reddish in light. It has nearly 100% tubular leaves and not the number
of flat, spoon-shaped and irregular blades - incomplete tubes - of
'Hobbit'. )
- Crassula ovata 'Green Giant Coral' = 'Giant Gollum'
- Crassula ovata 'Hobbit' (With leaves twisted, rolled
inward but not tubular as 'Gollum'. It has many spoon-shaped,
shovel-shaped and wide open tubes that some have compared to a pita
sandwich or gyros)
- Crassula ovata 'Horn Tree' (A listed name for a
fused-leaf plant listed separately from 'Gollum'. Perhaps just
a name for large stock of a similar type.)
- Crassula ovata 'Lady Fingers' (With leaves fused
into tubes as 'Gollum' but tubes distinctly narrower, longer, and more
upright. It is a more elegant plant from photos.)
- Crassula ovata 'Sea Coral' = 'Gollum'
- Crassula x portulacea 'Baby Jade'[C. ovata x C.
lactea] (It is smaller than C. ovata on average,
eventuall a small woody shrub, leaves smaller than C. ovata
all green. this name is for the typical clone(s) of the trade. Not all
species hybrids will be the same)
- Crassula x portulacea f. monstrosa = C. ovata 'Gollum'
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Family: Crassulaceae |
Scientific Name:
Crassula ovata (Mill.) Druce cv. GOLLUM Hort.
Origin:
Garden origin (Nursery
produced hybrid)
Crassula ovata is also known as Crassula portulacea called
jade plant, jade tree.
Common English Names include: "Gollum Jade",
"Trumpet Jade", "Hobbit's Pipe Jade", "ET's Fingers."
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Synonyms:
- Crassula portulaceae "Gollum"
- Crassula ovata 'Gollum'
- Crassula 'argenta'
- Crassula convoluta
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