Ugly or Amazing? Mutated Succulents That People Pay Top Dollar For
There are a lot of odd succulents in the world, but frequently people are searching after mutated varieties that are hard to find.
Cresting is one such mutation that occurs as the plant grows. Instead of producing more branches or stems, the plant flattens out and creates a wide flat surface. The leaves generally grow along the top of the ridge of this wide growth and they are very compact.
It's something that happens naturally and can't be forced so they are rarer than their non-crested counterparts. I saw my first crested succulent (at least that I'm aware of) in person in the garden of Mimi from I Dream of Succulents. This crested Aeonium ‘Sunburst' was beautiful!
She was kind enough to give me a smaller version of this same plant and I love it! That was the first crested succulent I owned.
I still have it, although it is slightly sunburned so I'll have to show it off when it's looking a little happier. I saw a crested ‘Topsy Turvy' in Rancho Garcia Nursery's shop on Etsy and knew I needed to add that to my collection. They are just so amazing!
I was in Santa Barbara a while ago and saw several crested succulents at Seaside Gardens (amazing place… definitely worth visiting). They had an amazing collection of crested Aeoniums.
I love how this one also had a bunch of normal stems coming off it too. Sometimes this can happen if a crested succulent isn't getting enough light. But in the same way it mutated into a crest, it can easily unmutate (is that a word?) and revert back to a normal growth pattern.
While I was looking over some cold hardy succulents I had planted at my parents house, I came across this little crested Sedum 'Angelina'. I was so excited to have a succulent that crested on it's own in a garden under my care. It was so small that I decided to pull it out and plant it in a container so I can nurture it. Hopefully it does a little better that way.
The "Roller Coaster Opuntia" in the photo below is one of the more commonly found crested succulents. With an almost fuzzy look along the ridge and little red spikes coming out, it resembles a coral reef more than a cactus.
But don't be fooled by it's soft appearance, it's still has a bad bite if touched.
One of the most expensive succulents I've purchased was a Dinosaur Back Cactus -- a crested version of a fairly common cactus. Below is a stunning example of one at the Desert Botanical Garden. I actually purchased my plant from the garden's fall sale and there's a good chance it came from this plant or one nearby.
What do you think... Do you love em or hate em?
I personally think crested succulents are amazing. It's fun to have something rare in your collection but often rare plants are too expensive to justify owning. Crested succulents, while somewhat rare, aren't always pricey so they could be a good fit if you're looking for something unique but still within your budget.
This article originally appeared on Succulents and Sunshine.