The narrow, pointed, splayed ("propeller-like"[2]) leaves are initially a light green, but become a strong reddish colour in the sun.

Near the top of a rosette, the leaves gradually get smaller and change into floral bracts, as the stem forms a long, pointed inflorescence.

[4] It is a small, succulent herb (15–40 cm in height) - with stems that are either erect or rambling and mat-forming.

C.capitella is mostly biennial, blooming in the summer, with small, white, star-shaped flowers forming all around each thick, upright stem.

[5] Crassula capitella prefer full sun to partial shade, with average watering needs, and it should not be exposed to temperatures below 30 °F (−1 °C).