With a beautifully unique look, the Buddha Temple Succulent is aptly named for its resemblance to a template. It features a unique, symmetrical look that is not found in many other plants. This makes it a very popular addition to indoor gardens as it’s sure to make quite the statement.
The Crassula Buddha’s temple is actually a hybrid plant originally created by crossing to other crassula species: Crassula perfoliata and Crassula pyramidalis. This makes the plant not only interesting to look at, but also talk about.
In this article, we’ll look at the buddha’s temple succulent and you’ll learn everything you need to grow this plant in your home. The care for this succulent is quite light, so it’s a fairly easy plant to grow. With a little effort, you’ll be able to grow this beautiful plant, and add an eye-catching addition to your garden.
Crassula Buddha’s temple Overview
- They are the perfect container plant and grow well as an indoor ornamental plant.
- They grow to a height of around 6 inches tall making them fairly compact
- Their flowers are eye-catching due to their colors. They’re usually red, white, or orange in the early stages and turn to pink later.
- Look for these blooms in late winter into the early spring months.
- They have flat and soft leaves which grow in neat little columns giving the plant its characteristic look.
- They are overall easy to maintain and care for.
Soil/Container
Nearly any type of container will do, provided that it has proper drainage holes. Buddha Temple succulents are quite small and grow slowly, so you won’t need to replant often or upgrade the container size frequently.
In many cases, you can actually leave your plant in its store bought container for the first year. While most plants will quickly outgrow this initial container, this succulent grows slow enough that it’s usually not a problem.
That said, there’s no issue with moving it to a new container right away. Choose one that is the same size or slightly larger, a 6” clay pot is a great choice that is easy to grow in and is affordable.
For soil, use loose, well draining soil to prevent water sitting. The best choice is to use a succulent or cacti mix as these are perfectly balanced for the Buddha Temple. They prefer a soil that is neutral, but tend to do alright in unbalanced situations as well.
Planting
The easiest way to grow the Buddha temple is to purchase a plant from a nursery or hardware store. While you can grow from seeds, this plant is very slow growing, so you’re looking at over a year before you’ll see the characteristic leaves of this plant really take shape. For that reason, we recommend starting with an existing plant unless you have a lot of patience.
One key concern that many growers of the Buddha Temple succulent face is the plant’s weak root system. This plant has a very shallow root system, and therefore you may notice it wobbles a bit or doesn’t appear to be firmly rooted. If you notice that, place a few small stones to help support it and keep it from being uprooted. We’ll talk a bit more about how to prevent this later when we deal with watering.
Lastly, this succulent can be grown both indoors and out. Keep in mind that it doesn’t do well in cold temperatures and a frost will kill it. If growing outdoors, make sure to bring the plant indoors as the temperature drops. Try not to let it go below 50° Fahrenheit to prevent any damage to the plant.
Lighting
Budda’s Temple does best in bright, but indirect light. Too much bright light can burn out the leaves harming the plant, so look for areas that aren’t in total sun all day.
Shoot for about 6 hours per day of indirect light for optimal growth. A good way to hit this is to look for an area that gets morning sun and afternoon shade. This will give your plant enough light to grow, while the less intense morning sunlight won’t risk harming the plant.
You can also move the plant back from a more direct sunlight window to lessen the intensity of the light. A plant a foot or two back from a southerly facing window will likely get enough light while still being out of the most direct and damaging area.
Also, look to rotate your plant every 1-2 weeks. This just ensures even lighting, and helps prevent issues like leggy growth that are aesthetically unpleasing and can lead to growth problems further down the road.
Water/Fertilizer
As noted above, well draining soil is a must for the Buddha Temple succulent. This plant is very susceptible to root rot, so overly moist soil will harm your plant. The best defense against this is well draining soil and proper drainage for your container.
For watering, you want to do so infrequently but deeply. This means saturating the entire soil with water, then waiting until it completely dries out before watering again. Generally, you want to see water leaking out of your container’s drainage holes as this is a good sign the soil is thoroughly saturated with water.
In terms of watering amount, you’ll typically need to do so once every 1-2 weeks during the summer growing season, and less during the winter. Like many other plants, the Buddha Temple will go dormant in the winter, and therefore will need less water and care. In both cases, feel the top 2-3 inches of the soil and only water when the soil is dry to the touch.
This deep watering also helps strengthen the roots of your plant. As mentioned above, the root system for this succulent is typically pretty weak, and this can cause problems with stability. By watering deeply, you encourage deep root growth as they need to grow to search for water. This helps your plant’s roots get stronger, and overtime can compensate for their generally shallow and weak root system.
Buddha’s Temple doesn’t generally require much fertilizer, but you can feed it once around mid-spring before the peak of the growing season. Use a liquid based fertilizer diluted down half strength. During the fall/winter you won’t need to fertilize at all due to the dormancy mentioned above.
Temperature/Humidity
Buddha’s temple grows best in typical indoor temperatures ranging from about 50-75° Fahrenheit. The absolute temperature is not the biggest issue, but try to maintain it the best you can. Try not to have frequent or drastic temperature changes. Freezing temperatures will kill your plant, so make sure to keep it away from such extremes and move them indoors as the temperature drops.
While this plant does prefer lower humidity, it can grow just as well even in relatively high humidity environments. If in a humid location, be extra diligent in watering and make sure not to overwater. That said, humidity isn’t that big of a problem for this plant, so you have a lot of wiggle room in where it can be grown.
Propagation
There are two main ways to propagate your Buddha’s Temple succulent. You can propagate this plant by both stem and leaf cuttings.
To propagate by leaves, start by cutting a healthy looking leaf at its base. Avoid cutting any of the stem of your plant when doing this. Leave your cutting out for about 2-3 days as it will develop a callous over the cut end. Once this callous forms, place the leaf into a cacti/succulent soil and water deeply. After a few weeks of normal care you should begin to see the plant produce new growth.
For offset propagation, look for the small offshoot growth around the base of your plant. Using a sterilized knife to prevent infection, take a cutting off one of these offsets. Then, as above, leave your cutting out for a few days until it develops a callous. Once this forms, place it into your container and water deeply. Within a few weeks you should start to see new growth.
As with most plants, the best time to start propagating is in the spring and summer. This is when the plant is doing the most growing, and therefore is better able to recover from the cutting. This is also the best time for your cutting to grow too. Trying to propagate in the winter can lead to problems with both your parent plant and cutting not growing properly.
Growing a Buddha Temple Succulent
Crassula Buddha’s temple is a great addition to any indoor space. It’s an attractive plant that will easily catch guests’ attention and spark interesting conversations. Its unique look is striking, and creates an instant focal point in any garden or room.
The best part of the Buddha’s temple is that it’s very easy to grow and requires little maintenance. If you’re looking for a new succulent to add to your garden then the Buddha Temple succulent is a fantastic choice for any level of gardener.
Crassula Buddha’s temple FAQ
Can you propagate Crassula Buddha?
Yes, Crassula Buddha can be propagated either through leaf cutting and stem cuttings. It’s quite easy to grow from cuttings, and requires minimal prep work to be successful making it a very popular plant to propagate.
Why is my Crassula Buddha dying?
The two biggest issues gardeners face is overwatering and too much direct sunlight. As a succulent, this plant likes deep but infrequent waterings. Too much standing water not only leads to root rot, but can also contribute to a weak root system.
Direct sunlight is also an issue as this plant prefers less intense, in-direct light. If you’re noticing burned spots on your leaves, or yellow/browning leaves, then try moving the plant to a less sunny location.
How should I water Crassula Buddha?
You should water your plant moderately when it’s their growing season and sparingly when it’s their dormant season. Look to water deeply, and then wait until the soil is completely dry before doing so again.
