Crassula ovata, commonly known as the jade plant or money plant, is one of the world’s most popular houseplants.
It is associated with wealth and luck, and because of its longevity, it is a popular gift, so much so that it is passed down from generation to generation!
This resilient succulent is just as easy on your wallet as it is to care for. Its toughness makes it the perfect companion for even the most incompetent, or let’s be honest, the outright negligent gardener.
Whether you are a new owner of jade plants, or want to take your jade plant collection to the next level and grow or propagate these babies, you will find everything you need to know in this complete guide to growing and propagating jade plants to thrive in your home.
I will cover the key aspects of jade plant care, with plenty of tips and tricks, all the way down to where to place these plants in your home!
All About the Jade Plant
If you’re asking yourself “what is a jade plant?”, chances are you have encountered this incredibly common houseplant by one of its different names.
Jade plants are a type of perennial evergreen succulent plant containing thick, coin-shaped, fleshy leaves full of moisture.
They are native to southern Africa where they are often found in very arid regions of Namaqualand, Kwazulu Natal, the Eastern Cape and Mozambique.
In nature, this plant can be found amongst other succulents in valley-thicket vegetation or growing on an arid rocky hillside.
The Many Names of the Jade Plant
Due to jade plants being found in roughly very continent around the globe, chances are you have seen this unique plant with fleshy leaves.
The jade plant has various names including the Afrikaans and Khoi names, along with some nicknames which may also be used for various other plants with a similar name.
The Latin name for jade plant is derived from the word “Crassus” meaning thick or fat and “Ovata”, or egg-shaped, referring to the leaves of the jade plant.
Below are some of the various names of the jade plant:
- Lucky plant
- Baby jade
- T’karkai
- Money tree
- Dollarplant
- Friendship plant
- Annual honesty
- Beestebul
- Kerky
- Plakkies (Khoi)
- Umxhalagube
- Friendship tree
- Silver dollar plant
- Kerkij
- Kerky bush
- Pink joy
- Japanese rubber plant
- Chinese rubber plant
- Japanese-Laurel
- Cauliflower-Ears
What Do Jade Plants Look Like?
The jade plant, with its shiny jade-green leaves growing on think scaly branches is easily recognizable to many people.
Depending on the species, the leaves may or may not have a reddish or yellow tinge. Additionally, the thin skin of the jade plant peels away exposing cracked streaks from the bark as it grows.
Some people refer to the jade plant as a tree, but it is a broadleaf evergreen shrub with the potential to reach a height of 2.4 metres (7.87 feet).
The trunk and branches of this plant are not lignified, which means the jade plant is flesh and succulent plant the entire way through.
The coin-shaped leaves can grow to approximately 10 centimetres (3.93 inches) in diameter with a wedge shape that can be up to 5 millimetres (0.19 inches) thick.
Each pair of leaves grow at right-angles to one another at distances of one or two centimetres apart on the branches of the jade plant.
The Flowering of the Jade Plant
You probably haven’t seen it before, but jade plants do flower!
Jade plants produce lovely clusters of small pinkish-white star-shaped flowers. The flowers grow in clusters with compact, rounded bunches.
Once pollinated, they turn to small capsules filled with very small seeds!
These wonderfully fragrant, hermaphrodite flowers start showing in clumps of stalks as winter features shorter and much colder days.
If you want to encourage a jade plant to flower, keep it in a smaller pot and reduce watering.
A great tip: cold temperatures encourage jade plant flowers.
How Many Different Types of Jade Plants are There?
Jade plants belong to the Crassulaceae family of plants (also known as the stonecrop or orpine) featuring over 300 species of succulent plants that range from low, moss-like carpet plants to mature shrubs and small trees.
C. ovata is one of the bigger plants in the family, and it is very hardy and long-lived, able to achieve a life span of up to 100 years with the right TLC!
Crassula Ovata has a number of cultivars that vary based on the color or shape of the leaf as well as the overall size of the plant.
Below are some common cultivars:
- Crosby’s Compact (or Crosby’s Red, Red Dwarf, or Crosby’s Dwarf) is notable for its red-hued leaves and smaller branches which give the plant a dwarfed/camping effect.
- Monstruosa (or Spoon Jade or Hobbit Jade) has a shrubby appearance with a tubular leaf that has a slight red color as well. It is more tree-like with a thicker and coarser trunk.
- Hummels Sunset has beautiful multi-tone leaves where the yellow and red tips are really apparent set in strong sunlight.
- Tricolor has variegated leaves that have creamy yellow and white colors to them. It is shrub-like and requires very little water to thrive.
- ET’s Fingers is a unique variety with tubular leaves that have red suction cup-like tips.
- Lastly, Undulata is a type of jade plant with curled leaves.
How to Care for Jade Plants
The jade plant is popular because it’s very easy to grow, and also because it requires very little care.
It hails from harsh arid regions, where precipitation is minimal, and has adapted to exist with very little moisture.
This succulent plant stores a significant amount of water within its mass, making it an efficient water preserver.
Water is not only stored within the mass of the jade plant, but it is stored in the plants leaves and stems. This makes jade plants less reliant on you for watering.
Jade plants require is reduced watering during the summer months, and even less in the winter.
How Often Should You Water Jade Plants and How?
This is a plant that definitely doesn’t require much fuss.
If you overwater your jade plant it will develop leaf drop and root rot; however, it does require a bit of watering, as if you underwater the jade plant it can damage or even kill it.
Here are some important notes for watering jade plants effectively:
- The jade plant requires the most water when it is growing actively, which usually occurs in the spring and summer season. Even at that time, it is only necessary to water jade plants when the top of the potting soil is dry to the touch – thus, a typical frequency of watering is probably every other week or even just once a month.
- A jade plant may have a period of dormancy in winter. The slowing down of the jade plant’s growth means it takes less water in winter. The soil can completely dry out between watering, especially if the jade plant is mature.
- If your plant has shrivelled leaves or drops its leaves, it is probably time to water the plant. If leaves have a brown mark on them, it is a sign of dehydration.
- If the leaves of the jade plant are healthy and full looking and shiny, your plant is getting adequate water!
- If a jade plant is overwatered, the leaves may be soft and waterlogged.
- Using a toothpick is a clever way of checking how thirsty your jade plant is. Similar to a dipstick, you can just stick the toothpick into the soil, and if the toothpick is stained moist when pulling it out, you do not need to water.
- You should also not spray jade plants or get any water on their leaves, as humidity could cause the leaves to rot!
Does a Jade Plant Need Direct Sunlight?
A jade plant needs around 6 hours of direct sun each day (4 minimum) depending on the season.
If a jade plant does not receive enough sun, it will reach toward the light and become leggy.
Good places to plant jade plants indoors are sunny spots with indirect sunlight and south or western-facing windows.
Good sun will bring a reddish color to the leaves of money plant or even yellows the leaves. This should make owners give it a shade.
As stated above it is a hardy plant that can withstand light frosts.
Indoor Jade Plant Care
Jade plants thrive in indoor conditions as the temperatures of 18 to 24 degrees celsius (65 to 75 degrees fahrenheit) are ideal for plants growth.
In winter, the cooler temperatures are better, but do not keep plants close to cold windows or draughty windows or areas.
Jade plants indoors can be potted in regular soil with good drainage, or specialty Cactus and succulent soil. Drainage is a jade owner’s best friend because it will keep moisture from saturating the roots of jade plants.
Works well: Use a porous media on top of a gravel base with plants pots has drainage holes.
What Size Container for Jade Plants and What Type Is Best?
Jade plants do not require a lot of space in a plant pot.
Your plant pot need only be slightly larger than the plant itself. If your jade plant is 5 inches wide, 6 inches should be an adequate width for the next year or two before needing a larger pot.
If you want your jade plants to grow, re-potting with a larger pot in the spring will make them a little bigger.
Terracotta is very good for potting jade plants. Terracotta is porous and can absorb some excess water, which helps prevent waterlogging.
Pots should have holes in the bottom and sit on a tray. Do not keep the tray base of your jade plant full. This will help prevent root rot.
Jade plants can also be tray-planted and miniaturized to create a stunning Bonsai effect.
Good advice: The Bonsai technique will be effective because jade plants will respond well to the selective pruning. Since jade is a succulent, jade plants are often selected to help someone learn Bonsai.
Do Jade Plant Leaves Need to Be Cleaned?
Dust can accumulate on the leaves of indoor jade plants significantly and should be cleaned from time to time.
Cleaning your jade plant leaves should not be overlooked! A coating of grime on the leaf will inhibit the processes of photosynthesis, respiration, and transpiration which may negatively affect the plant’s health.
Jade leaves can be cleaned with a soft cloth that is lint free and non-abrasive using just water. Care should be taken to not damage the leaves while cleaning.
Avoid using leaf shine products. Leaf shine products can clog the pores of your jade leaves, which are essential for a healthy plant. A cloth soaked in warm water and wrung out will work to clean the leaves of your jade plant.
If grime has built up, a very dilute soap solution can be used to remove the grime.
To maintain dust-free jade leaves, periodically dust the leaves with a feather duster. This task can be done as frequently as you water your jade. Just remove the jade plant from the window sill since dust collects rapidly in sunny spots.
Outdoor Jade Plant Care
In warmer, dry climates, jade plants can grow outside.
If you wish to grow outside all year, look at the southern US and Mediterranean, this is Zone 10, and this is where jade plants will thrive.
In cooler climate zones, you will need to place your jade plant in a container so you can bring it indoors when the weather cools down.
Make sure you move your jade plant inside for fall and winter; they can tolerate only the lightest frost and no colder than about 10 degrees Celsius (or 50 degrees Fahrenheit).
If outside too long your plant will incur cold damage.
Be careful, jade plant sap can attract sap suckers, so be vigilant about checking for pests.
How to Move a Jade Plant Outdoors
The best time to transition a jade plant outdoors is late spring or early summer when the temperature is warmer and the sun isn’t as extreme.
Outdoor exposure on a warm day will be advantageous for the jade plant as well because it will receive good sunlight. Transplanting a houseplant outdoors will take time, however.
One of the biggest risks of moving a jade plant outdoors is excessive sunlight that can scorch a plant acclimated to growing in a lower-light indoor environment.
You can avoid this by gradually exposing the jade plant to short amounts of outdoor sunlight to build a tolerance just like one would for hardening off other plants to transplant outdoors.
Should I Feed My Jade Plant?
The jade plant’s natural habitat is harsh and lacking in nutrients, so fertilization isn’t a significant concern for this plant species.
You can feed them sparingly with a liquid houseplant or succulent fertilizer. You can dilute it and add it to one of their regular watering during the growing season in the spring and summer.
They only need feeding every two to four months.
Propagating Jade Plants
Jade plant propagation is fast and easy.
You can propagate a money plant from just one leaf!
Cuttings work best and are how the jade plant most often reproduces in nature; branches will drop to the ground, root, and grow new plants.
You can treat cuttings with rooting powder and plant them in clean soil. A jade plant cutting will produce roots in about four weeks when the temperature and humidity are right.
The presence of new leaves indicates that the cutting has produced roots and started to grow!
How to Grow Jade Plants from Seed
It is possible to grow jade plants from seeds, as seeds are easily available to purchase.
Jade plant seeds should be germinated in Spring or Summer for the best results.
It is easy to germinate jade plant seeds following these steps:
- Jade plant seeds should be placed into a soil mixture for succulents which has good drainage. Take a 4-inch pot and fill it with this soil. Place up to three seeds one inch apart in the centre of the pot on the surface.
- Alternatively, you can plant money plant seeds directly outdoors in a sunny location in loamy soil that is well-drained. Place one or two seeds in each location and space at least a foot apart. The seeds should not be covered.
- Water jade plants every week, just enough to moisten the soil. Maximize sunshine. If you plant indoors, the pot can be shielded by a clear plastic bag with holes punched in it to retain moisture.
- Consider potting jade plants when two or three leaves have emerged. Keep the strongest seedlings and pot them on their own for growth. With outdoor jade plants, thin the seedlings to the strongest one.
- Water jade plants only when the soil is dry. This can be once every 2 -3 weeks! Over watering jade plants will cause root rot.
- Feed the jade plant a general-purpose liquid fertilizer once every two months. Follow the directions and add to regular watering, concentrating the feed in the root zone of the plant.
- Once jade plants have branches, feel free to prune and shape the jade plant. Pruning encourages growth of the mainstem and allows for the plant’s ability to gain multiple branches and leaves.
- Be cautious of pests, especially on plants grown outdoors. Common pests of the jade plant and ry to manage them, are explained more below.
How Do You Harvest Jade Plant Seeds?
After jade plants bloom and the head dries out, a seed pod will form.
These can be harvested for jade plant seeds, which are incredibly fine.
Pests of the Jade Plant
While jade plants are mostly found growing indoors, their sap is very attractive to all kinds of parasites that will eat their sap.
The pests will quickly grow in numbers on jade plants and as a result, jade plants will suffer from poorly growing plants and dropping leaves.
Here are some common pests of jade plants.
Scale Insects
Scale insects are soft-bodied, wingless insects that attach to a money plant via their mouthparts, piercing into the plant while sucking its juices out under pressure.
They feed on the plant as a colony, producing waxy scales and excreting a sugary liquid known as honeydew. Usually you can kill them using direct applications of rubbing alcohol.
If you’re interested in learning other effective methods of killing scale insects on your jade plant, I recommend reading the helpful article “Are scale insects harmful to humans?” which discusses the main methods of eradication.
Spider Mites
Spider mites also thrive in a warm environment of a jade plant indoors and aggressively reproduce and feed on the sap from the jade by puncturing it’s cells to feed.
These small, rust-coloured mites are under a millimetre long and appear like spores on the plant, coated with a webbing structure that is enmeshed in their eggs.
Female spider mites can live up to a month and lay about 20 eggs per day, so without management, a household money plant can support numerous spider mites in a quick time.
Try this: The primary controlling spider mites is rubbing alcohol.
Mealybugs
Mealybugs have a penchant for sucking the sap of a jade plant and it can be spotted congregated under jade leaves or in the nodes where the leaves are attached to the stem.
They resemble a cluster of small white, waxy, granule-like substance. Several applications of rubbing alcohol on cotton wool would get rid of them without harming the jade.
Do you have mealybugs on your jade plant? Are you also questioning whether they are harmful to humans?
Then read the article “Are Mealybugs Harmful to Humans or Plants?” which tells you everything you’ll need to know about mealybugs and how to control them on your jade plant!
Aphids
Aphids will also suck the sap from the money plant.
But they are bigger than most of the other pests we’ve mentioned so their presence on your plant should be easy to identify.
In addition to sucking the sap from your money plant, aphids will secrete honeydew and honeydew can be capable of producing a black powdery mildew.
For jade plants, you can use rubbing alcohol primarily for elimination of the aphids.
To make it even more effective, you can mix in a very small amount of dish soap with the rubbing alcohol. This will help the soap emulsify the honeydew and will also dissolve any waxy coating the aphid may use for protection.
Jade Plant Diseases
High humidity, pests, and other factors that stress jade plants expose them to multiple diseases.
These are some of the more frequently encountered ones.
Powdery Mildew
Powdery mildew is caused by insects that suck the juice from the plant and then produce a syrupy excreta known as honeydew.
Removing the insects, combined with a cleaning of the plant with a mixture of baking soda and vinegar, can assist. It is also a good option to prune the foliage that appears to be affected.
Bacterial Soft Rot
This condition appears as the wilting of jade plant branches and leaf branches. The wilting tissues are soft.
It is caused by Erwinia. Soft rot multiplies quickly and typically results in the jade plant being discarded.
Signs a jade plant has root rot are:
- Stunting of the plant
- Wilted leaves and branches
- Leaf discoloration
Phytophthora organisms are the cause of root rot, which is a type of fungus.
In an overwatered plant, the spores from the organism can spread and destroy the roots of the plant leading to dieback of the foliage and certain death if the plant.
If a jade plant develops root rot it should be discarded as this disease can simply spread to other houseplants.
Black Ring Disease
Black ring disease is caused by a virus, causing a jade plant to develop black target lesions on the undersides of its leaves.
It is spread by insects that are feeding on the plant, so pest removal should be the first line of defense.
Good To Know: Black ring disease will not kill a jade plant. You can remove the affected parts and repot the jade plant in new soil that is not contaminated.
How to Save a Dying Jade Plant
Because the jade plant is supposedly tough and hardy, the indications that there are watering problems, diseases or pests may not be acted upon quickly, and the jade plant may already be in a state of decline.
It is not straightforward to revive a dying jade plant and often a dying jade plant, will not be identified until its demise is irreversible, and is thrown in the compost heap!
That said, it is possible to revive a dying jade plant, if the extent of the damage/infection is not severe.
Your approach will depend upon the underlying problem in the plant, usually overwatering, underwatering, or infection.
If a Jade Plant Is Dying Because of Overwatering?
It is all too easy to overwater a jade plant.
The plant’s key indicators are brown and black spots on the leaves, as well as a yellowing and general mushiness due to the excess moisture it absorbed.
Reviving the jade plant is simply a matter of providing conditional optimizations back to the plant; this means that to start the reviving process we first need to reduce the moisture budget to which it copes with.
- Watering should be significantly reduced.
- The jade can be repotted with new soil and good drainage.
- Scale the size of the pot down to one that holds the jade root ball and then very little else.
- The pot must have drainage holes and tray to holds excess water.
If a Jade Plant Is Dying Because of Underwatering?
If you have really forgotten your jade (easily done), then odds are good, you would have noticed it dropping its leaves.
Jade plants that are stressed from drought show wrinkly leaves and droopiness.
This can be fixed quickly by placing the jade in a tray of water.
Rest it there for about 10 minutes or so, which will ensure the soil and roots of the jade plant become completely saturated with water and start to move it back into the plant.
Put the jade in a place where it will be getting lots of sunlight and warmth. This will help transpiration, and thus water uptake from the roots, and make sure you also develop a new routine of watering it regularly, and making sure its enough water.
If a Jade Plant Is Dying Because of Disease?
Treating a jade plant for disease can be difficult as severe disease or pests might spread to other houseplants close by.
The first thing to do is to quarantine the diseased or infested plant so as not to spread to other plants. If the disease is being caused by pests then those need to be removed, along with any infested leaves and branches.
The instrument you use to remove diseased portions of the plant should not be used on a non-diseased area of that plant or any other plant unless it has first been sterilized or you risk transferring the disease.
Your jade plant can then be treated with a rubbing alcohol treatment and then repotted with fresh soil. The jade plant should continue to be treated and observed in quarantine to see if it will grow back or develop the disease again.
For the persistent: You may need to treat your jade plant multiple times before you are successful in removing the pests. Be vigilant of discarding any plants with root rot or soft rot as bacteria can spread to your other houseplants.
Why Is My Jade Plant Turning Purple?
While it may be an appealing colour, the occurrence of a purple coloration in jade leaves indicates stress in a plant.
A rapid environmental change, such as quickly lowering the temperature or making changes to the light environment can cause the plant to release stress hormones – anthocyanins, to tend towards a purple coloration.
Some horticulturalists will intentionally stress jade plants to induce this colour.
If you are feeling concerned about plant health, it may be a good time to adjust the environmental conditions of the jade and consider it being regularly fed and watered.
Are Money Tree Plants Poisonous?
If you have young children or pets, it is important to address the toxicity of commonly kept houseplants.
Most people assume jade plants are non-toxic just because they are so common, but jade plants actually contain potent biologically active phytochemicals that can be harmful to both humans and animals.
Interestingly, money plants have been studied for their antimicrobial properties as it has been utilized in Chinese medicine and the traditional medicine of the Khoi tribe of South Africa.
Is Money Plant Poisonous to Humans?
Succulent plants from the Crassulaceae family such as the jade plant contain cardiotoxins of a very similar compound class to digoxin. In humans, they are only mildly toxic if ingested, and are irritating to the skin.
Major symptoms from eating the leaves are gastrointestinal upset, vomiting and diarrhea.
It should be kept out of the reach of children as they can be attracted to the sweet, succulent rubbery leaves.
Are Jade Plants Poisonous to Cats and Dogs?
The jade plant’s leaves and stems are more toxic to animals such as dogs, cats and horses that may accidentally nibble on the succulent leaves while mounted outside.
Ingesting these leaves causes lethargy and uncoordination in their legs along with vomiting.
The American Society for the Protection of Animals, rates this plant as something strongly to keep away from pets.
Final Thought
Now you have all of the information you could need to keep your jade plants growing strong!
There’s something about the quiet, simplicity, and beauty of this simple succulent that remains ever appealing.
It’s easy to care for and if you try just a little bit, you can grow rich leaves for many decades, from one simple jade plant.
Whether you keep your jade plant in your home or out in the backyard, away from rabbits and deer, growing and caring for a jade plant is very rewarding, especially for brand-new gardeners.
Just watch for pests, disease, and remember to water it once in a while—a true cutie!