The genus Crassula is one of the most diverse succulent genera, varying from tiny moss-like annual plants to 2m tall succulent trees like Crassula ovata. Belonging to the Crassulaceae family, there are more than 300 Crassula species of which approx. 150 are found in southern Africa, where they are widespread but concentrated in the semi-arid winter-rainfall areas. The centre of distribution of this genus is in southern Africa, but they extend beyond Africa into Europe, America, Australia, New Zealand and the southern islands. The name Crassula is the diminutive of the Latin crassus which means thick or fat, referring to the fleshy nature of the genus as a whole. This popular genus offers an extensive array of sizes, growing forms and textures making them perfect for landscaping, rockeries, windowsill plants or to be grown in containers. They can also be grown indoors as house plants. Those that make excellent house plants are the glossy leaf varieties. Crassulas, given a rich, well-drained medium will grow fast and luxuriantly.

Crassula fascicularis is an elegant little succulent shrub, with beautiful and fragrant spring flowers, ideal for pots, rockeries and fynbos gardens. It is endemic to South Africa where it grows in fynbos on dry sandstone slopes, at 50 to 1 200 m altitude in the mountains of the Western Cape, from Gifberg near Vanrhynsdorp to the Langeberg Mountains near Bredasdorp, including the Cape Peninsula. Crassula fascicularis is an erect, succulent shrublet, 150 to 400 mm high, branching from a slightly woody base. It has stalkless, narrow lance-shaped, upward-pointing, scarcely fleshy leaves, 20 to 40 mm long and 2 to 3 mm broad, on stems that are frequently reddish. They usually have tiny curved hairs along the margins, which give the leaves a silvery edge. In spring and early summer it has attractive, rounded to flat-topped clusters of cream-coloured to pale yellowish green or rarely white flowers. Each flower is 20 to 32 mm long, tubular, with lobes curled back, and often flushed with reddish pink. The flowers have no stalk. The base of the floral tube is enclosed in a green or red or red-streaked calyx, which is fringed with tiny white hairs. The flowers which attract butterflies to the garden are strongly sweet scented, the scent growing even stronger at dusk.