Plant of the Month July 2025: Crinkle Leaf Plant (Adromischus cristatus)

This July, Fern & Fossil is highlighting one of my favorite succulents: Adromischus cristatus. This plant is a succulent in the Crassulacae family native to the eastern cape of South Africa. Our Plant of the Month succulent goes by several common names including ‘Crinkle Leaf Plant’, ‘Key Lime Pie’, and the ‘Ravioli Plant’. This is because of its uniquely shaped fleshy leaves that have ruffled edges, giving the succulent a ‘crinkle like’ appearance - kind of like the crust of a pie or the shape of ravioli. The swirly edged leaves grow along a short stem in a rosette formation. The leaves are also covered with cute tiny white hairs that look like peach fuzz. I just adore how whimsical crinkle leaf plants look in succulent terraria, they just add so much interesting texture and pop nicely against the brightly colored moss.

Like most succulents, crinkle leaf plants are super beginner friendly for those new to gardening and plant care. They don’t require much water or frequent maintenance, usually it’s enough to give it a thorough watering once every 1 - 2 weeks or whenever you find the soil is fully dry. Do not water succulents when the soil is still moist. One of the most important things needed for succulent care is adequate sun exposure. These plant babies love the sun, so make sure to give your crinkle leaf plant enough sun or it can etiolate, growing thick aerial roots which can look unappealing to some people. Although you can remove the aerial roots with your fingers or a set of tweezers to groom the succulent, once it has etiolated, the plant will appear “leggy” or “stretched”. Etiolation seems to be the most common complaint I’ve found people tend to have with crinkle leaf plants. When this happens, all you can do to fix the stems is to take a cutting of the plant to propagate and start fresh. You can then repot and either place the crinkle leaf plant in a sunnier location or get grow lights to help accommodate the succulent’s needs. Etiolation isn’t always a problem, some people even find it aesthetically charming. But it is a form of stress in plants and can result in weaker stems as they stretch over time. This can make plants more susceptible to pests and infections so it’s best to avoid.

Crinkle Leaf Plant (Adromischus cristatus) needs the following care:

Light ☀️ Full Sun

Water 💧 Only when soil is completely dry. Do not overwater

Grow 🌱 This is not a cold hardy plant. For best results avoid temperatures below 60 F.