Thick leaves, a gnarled trunk and plenty of patience with forgetful waterers: the jade plant wants sun, thorough watering in summer and a cool, dry break in winter.

What it does for you

Over the years the jade plant grows into a small tree with a thick, woody trunk^1,2. As a succulent it stores water in its leaves, stem and roots and forgives neglect – it even likes warm, dry heated air². In a sunny spot the leaves get red edges².

Origin & history

In the wild it grows in south-eastern South Africa as far as south-eastern Mozambique^5,3, mainly in the bushland of the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal on dry, rocky slopes². Crassula means "thick", ovata "egg-shaped" – after the fleshy, oval leaves².

Older names are Crassula argentea and C. portulacea⁶. It has since gone wild in the Canary Islands, Madeira and California⁵.

Caution

For people the jade plant is considered non-toxic to mildly toxic. Recent literature describes no poisonings, only isolated cases of stomach ache and vomiting⁷. After nibbling on it, cats and dogs may vomit and become lethargic and unsteady on their feet; which substance causes this is unknown⁸.

Care

Light. Best with four or more hours of direct sun², e.g. at a south- or west-facing window (southern hemisphere: north or west)⁶. Get it used to harsh sun gradually³. Bright without sun works too, but then the leaves stay green².

Water. From mid-spring to mid-autumn water thoroughly when the top 2–3 cm are dry, and let the water drain away³. From late autumn until early spring it goes into its winter rest: cool and almost dry⁴. In the weeks in between, water less and less in autumn and gradually more again in spring.

Temperature & humidity. Around 16–21 °C by day, it can be cooler at night³, in winter 8–10 °C at night⁴. Hard frost kills it². It doesn't care about humidity².

Soil, pot & repotting. Cactus or succulent soil, or potting compost with perlite or sand². Heavy clay or ceramic pots work well³, but not too big, or the soil stays wet for too long⁴. Repot every two to three years in spring^3,4.

Feeding. From spring to early autumn feed every two months^3,2.

Extras

Older plants carry white to pink star-shaped flowers³. As a short-day plant it needs long nights for this: in autumn water less, keep it around 13 °C at night and don't switch on a lamp in the evening².

Its family, the stonecrops (Crassulaceae), gave CAM photosynthesis its name – it was first described in them⁹. The most common pest is mealybugs².