Crassula arborescens and Tylecodon paniculatus

Crassula arborescens and Tylecodon paniculatus show what the bigger succulents can do on a rocky ridge in a climate that suits them. Storing their own moisture in stems and leaves, their roots ensure access to rainwater captured in deep in the rock crevices for leaving their savings “in the bank”.

Soil can’t be too plentiful where these roots have ventured, but their ratio of plant body grown to soil nutrients available count among the many success stories of karoid adaptation.

These plants were seen near Oudtshoorn in August.