How to grow Jade

Crassula ovata is easy to grow in normal loam soil, but it must have good drainage. It thrives in full sun or semi-shade, but will flower best in a sunny position. Feed with plenty of compost, organic or inorganic fertilisers, and take care not to overwater. This plant is tolerant of drought, wind and coastal conditions. Although it comes from a frost-free environment, it should tolerate a winter minmum of -1° C (zone 10) but is best protected from frost to prevent the flowers from being damaged.

Crassula ovata is a wonderful sculptural plant for pots, tubs, rockeries, retaining walls and gravel gardens and is the ideal plant for a water-wise garden. It can also be grown in pots indoors. To induce a potted specimen to flower, move it into a sunny or brightly lit position during summer and autumn – but if it has been in a cool low-light spot remember to introduce it to stronger light gradually or the leaves will be scorched. Also, don’t put it behind glass in full sun, rather move it to an outside sunny spot or into a spot that receives bright light but no direct sun. Particularly with potted specimens, remember that it needs little water, so water sparingly in summer and withold water during winter. It’s best to drench the soil and then allow it to dry out before watering again. The plant will tolerate periods of drought effortlessly but will soon rot if left to stand in wet soil.

The terminal buds can be nipped back to keep the plant in shape and encourage branching

Propagate by seed or cuttings. Seed can be sown in spring, summer or autumn in frost-free areas. Seedlings can be watered with a fungicide to prevent damping off.

I grow my jades from leaves by laying them on top of moist soil. They start by developing roots and they, slowly, the plant emerges. Select a healthy leaf and carefully remove it cleanly from the plant. Allow it to dry and form a scab for a few days, before using it to make a new plant.

Cuttings root at any time of the year but optimal rooting is achieved during summer. Keep them fairly dry to prevent them from rotting.

Ensure that temperatures are mild (minimum night temperatures should be around 10°C / 50°F) and all chance of frost has passed before planting out, as Jade is a half hardy plant.

These estimates for how long Jade takes to sprout, grow and harvest are from real observations from real gardeners, right around the world.

Crassula ovata was first described in England in 1768. 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. The species name ovata means egg-shaped, referring to the leaves.

The Khoi and other African tribes ate the roots, they were grated and cooked after which they were eaten with thick milk. The leaves were also used medicinally, boiled in milk as a remedy for diarrhoea, and used to treat epilepsy, corns and as a purgative.

In the Far East, Germany and the USA it is traditionally grown in square porcelain tubs with ‘lion feet’ to bring good financial luck, and has attracted more common names including the Money Tree, Penny Plant, Dollar Plant and Tree of Happiness.

Jade plant, Friendship tree, Pink joy, Beestebul, Kerkij, Kerky, Plakkies, T'karkai, Umxhalagube, Crassula ovata, Lucky Tree, Money Plant, Tricolor jade

Crassula ovata, Crassula argentea, Crassula obliqua, Crassula portulacea

¹ Jade Plants care

² Jade Plant by University of Clemson