| Description | The Jade Plant (Crassula ovata) is an easy to grow, popular succulent plant. Needs full sun and grow on the drier side for best results. |
|---|---|
| Plant Type | Succulents, Perennial Tender, Site author's observations |
| Hardiness Zone | 10-11 |
| Sunlight | These plants will tolerate almost any light condition, but do best in full sun. The less light the more etiolated the stems. Also the leaves will become greener; losing the reddish edge that is an indicator of proper light. |
| Moisture | dry out between waterings |
| Growing Media | average house, well drained |
| Temperature | Will tolerate a wide range of temperatures. Average house is the norm. |
| Flowers | The flowers are white to pinkish, small and produced in clusters. Can be a difficult plant to get to bloom in the indoor culture. One way that did work for me was to grow the plant outdoors during the summer. The plant was out as long as possible. Even covering the plant with a tarp if a light frost was eminent. Bring the plant indoors to a bright cool window and it should bloom. If you buy a small plant that is blooming, the branch was rooted from a stock plant that already has met the requirements for bud formation. |
| Leaves | The leaves are very fleshy, dark green and have a silvery cuticle that can give the leaves a sheen. A red edge indicates strong light. |
| Stems | The stems will become stout and tree like, forming corky bark. |
| Dimensions | Can reach up to 3 meters (over 9 feet) in the proper growing conditions. Can be kept forever in any size pot by pruning. |
| Maintenance | This is one plant that I have rejuvenated for many people over the years. People tend to grow Jades in too dim of light and the plant weeps over. I cut the plant 25-50% or more and it regrows. Best done in the spring when the plant is actively growing. |
| Propagation | Easy from cuttings. Cut a branch of almost any size, let the wound callus to prevent rotting and stick in a coarse rooting media. Will also root from a whole leaf cutting, but this is painfully slow. |
| Native Site | Africa, South Cape to Natal |
| Misc Facts | syn. Crassula argentea AKA: Friendship Tree, Lucky Plant, Money Tree |
| Author's Notes | When moving from the indoors to the outdoors acclimated the plant by placing in a shaded spot then slowly move to the full sun. Even though it is a tough plant, the leaves will burn if put in direct sun to quickly. I still cringe every time a see the Jade in a dish garden or terrariums with low light, high humidity tropical plants!!!!!!!!!!!!!! |
| Notes & Reference | #05-Lexicon of Succulent Plants (Hermann Jacobsen) |
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