The Jade Plant is a popular succulent that is easy to care for. It prefers:
- Mild, warm temperatures and bright light
- Well-draining, loose soil
- It does not need watering often
- It can cope with full sun but will need protection from very harsh sun.
- It is suitable for growing inside and outside in the right climate.
- It cannot cope with frosts and is not a cold-hardy plant.
- Jade plants do not like cold drafts.
Drought-tolerant, easy to care for and resilient to neglect, it is understandably one of the most popular succulents found in homes worldwide. It is a perfect beginner plant, but be careful if you have pets, as it is toxic to cats and dogs.
With plump, firm, smooth green leaves and woody, multi-branching stems, the Jade Plant can appear like a miniature tree. It is important in Eastern cultures and is also known as the Chinese Jade Plant, Lucky Plant and Money Plant.
The term Jade Plant is often used in reference to several different plants. The most common is Crassula ovata and its varieties. In this article, we will guide you through the best care practices for the Jade Plant, Crassula Ovata. We’ll also show you how to propagate this plant easily to produce new Jade plants and answer some of the most common questions about jade plants.
Jade Plant is native to South Africa and Mozambique.
Jade Plant Inside or Outside?
Crassula ovata can be grown both inside and outside. I have Jade plants both indoors and outdoors, and I see them thriving outdoors throughout my neighborhood (which is in a sunny, warm climate).
When grown inside, a Jade Plant prefers plenty of bright light and a draft-free location.
Outside, find a sunny or partially shaded spot with well-draining soil. If you live in a climate with cold winters, it’s best to plant your Crassula Ovata in a pot so you can bring it inside when temperatures drop, as Jade Plants do not like cold temperatures.
What Does A Jade Plant Look Like?
The Jade Plant, Crassula Ovata is a medium-sized succulent featuring glossy green leaves and sturdy woody stems.
The leaves are firm and plump and oval in shape, much like a flattened egg.
Ovata means egg-shaped or oval. Crassula comes from the Latin word crassus, meaning thick or fat. So you see where the scientific name comes from. Crassula ovata essentially means thick, fat, oval-shaped, and that describes the shape of the Jade plant’s leaves perfectly.
The leaves grow in pairs on opposite sides of the stem. The pairs alternate in direction. If you imagine one pair facing east-west, the next leaf pair on the stem will grow north-south. The result, if viewed from above, is a four-leaf arrangement with each leaf pointing to a different corner of a square.
The leaves can take on red edges or even become tinged with red when receiving plenty of bright sunlight.
The Jade plant has a woody stem and many branches. Each time a stem branches, it splits into two new branches growing in a v-shape. Consequently, jade plants grow into a compact, rounded, sturdy, bushy, tree shape with a short, thick, base stem.
In the right conditions, it can grow up to 8 feet (2.4m) tall. However, it is a slow-growing plant and is less likely to grow that large when grown indoors in a pot.
How Long Do Jade Plants Live?
Jade Plants are hardy, long-lasting succulents that can thrive for many years with proper care. They have been known to live for more than 50 years, some even reaching 100 years old.
Do Jade Plants Flower?
Under the right conditions, Jade plants produce small star-shaped pink or white flowers that bloom in clusters just above the foliage.
Crassula Ovata blooms in winter or early spring.
Jade Plants in Eastern Culture
The Jade Plant is seen as a good luck symbol in some Eastern cultures, particularly in China, and is thought to attract prosperity, wealth and good luck.
Jade Plants are popular gifts during Chinese New Year and other significant celebrations, as they are thought to bring blessings and well wishes to the recipient.
The rounded, fleshy leaves of the Jade Plant are said to symbolize wealth and the promise of a bright future.
Crassula Ovata is the Jade plant variety most often called the Money Plant or Lucky Plant. However, there are other crassula ovata varieties, and other plants entirely, sometimes referred to by these names.
Where Should Jade Plant Be Placed In A Home?
A Jade Plant should always be placed in a draft-free location with plenty of bright light. Following Feng Shui practices, you should place a Jade plant:
- in the southeast of your hall or living room to welcome wealth luck. The southeast direction is ruled by the planet Venus that is known to increase wealth.
- to encourage health, harmony and thriving business, place the Jade plant in the east of a living room or office.
- near entrances or windows to act as guardians and protect the household from harmful influences. Just make sure it’s not too close to a door that your plant will get blasts of cold air everytime the door is opened or closed (particularly in winter in cold climates).
- placing a Jade plants in a bathroom or bedroom is said to reduce the plant’s positivity and should be avoided
Remember that the cultural and symbolic significance of the Jade Plant may vary among different Eastern cultures and individuals, but it is generally considered an auspicious and attractive addition to a home.
How To Care For Jade Plant (Crassula Ovata)
The best care for any plant is to mimic its native environment as closely as possible. Crassula ovata is native to South Africa and Mozambique, in areas with sandy soils and rocky hillside with low rainfall and warm, sunny days.
So how would we look after it in our homes?
Best Light For Jade Plants
Crassula ovata likes bright light. It ideally needs a minimum of 4 – 6 hours of bright light every day.
Mature jade plants can tolerate full sun, particularly if you live in an area where the sun is less intense. If you live in an area with sun that is hot and intense regularly, the leaves of your jade plant may suffer from leaf scorch or sunburn, resulting in dark brown patches on the leaves. In this case, provide partial shade, particularly when the sun is at its hottest in the middle of the day and afternoon.
Young Jade plant succulents are best kept out of direct, full sun.
These two Jade plants below are both growing outside in the same garden. The first gets morning sun but the midday and afternoon sun is blocked by a wall. The second gets midday and afternoon sun. You can see the effect on the leaves. The first has green leaves. The other has lighter green leaves, burnished with a rust color and red tips. Both are healthy and growing well.
Jade succulents will grow in low light. However, if the light levels are too low, it will lose its bushy shape nd you’ll end up with a tall, leggy Jade plant.
The stems will grow long, and the space between leaf pairs will increase. This process, where the plant grows tall, searching for more light, is called etiolation.
The example below (for which I am guilty) is a long-neglected jade plant that has been sitting in a corner of my office for far too long. Once your jade plant has become leggy and stretched, you can’t ‘unstretch’ it, but you can prune it to try and restore a bushy shape to your plant if so desired.
It’s too late for that in this case. My best hope is to take cuttings from the top of a couple of branches and propagate a new jade plant. More on pruning and propagation later on.
If you grow your Jade plant indoors, you can end up with a leaning plant if it is getting light mainly from one direction. The plant may grow and lean towards the light source. To avoid this, rotate any plant placed in a windowsill every few weeks to ensure light is received equally from all directions.
If you have placed your jade plant indoors, away from a window, try and move it to a brighter location every few months to give it a light boost and avoid etiolation.
How Often To Water A Jade Plant
Jade plants do not need much water, and overwatering is one of the biggest killers of jade plants. It’s killing with kindness. Overwatering will result in rotting roots, yellowing leaves and dark, mushy stems.
Your Jade plant needs to be planted in well-draining, loose soil, and you should wait until the soil is completely dry before watering.
You can check how dry the soil is by poking a chopstick, or your finger, a few inches into the soil. If the chopstick comes out clean and dry, you can go ahead and water. If not, wait a while.
I can’t give you an exact time frame for how often you should water your Jade plant. The time it takes for the soil to dry will depend on the temperature, the age of the plant, and, if potted, the size and material of the pot. It could be anywhere from seven days to three weeks.
You should also change your watering according to the seasons and the Jade plant’s dormancy period in summer. More on that below.
When you water, give your Jade a thorough soaking and ensure any excess water is allowed to drain away. Then, allow the soil to dry totally before watering again. This mimics what would happen in Crassula ovata’s natural environment, where infrequent rain would quickly drain away.
If your Jade is in a pot with a drainage hole, use the bottom-soaking method. Place the pot in a shallow container of water and leave it to soak up water for 15 – 30 minutes. Remove the pot from the water and place it on a draining board for around 15 minutes to allow excess water to drain away before returning your plant to its regular home. Do not allow it to sit in a tray of water for extended periods.
If your Jade is in a pot with no drainage hole, water from above and try to avoid getting water on the leaves or the stem. Use a squirt bottle or a narrow-spout watering can. Water thoroughly, but you need to be careful not to waterlog the soil. It’s a careful balance.
If possible, always use a pot with a drainage hole. It makes it much easier to get watering right.
If you have a particular decorative pot in mind and it doesn’t have a drainage hole, consider double-potting. Plant your jade in a smaller pot with a drainage hole and hide that inside your decorative pot.
Always water with room temperature water. Cold water will shock the plant, and hot water will cook it!
Water in the morning to allow any water on the leaves or soil’s surface to evaporate before cooler evening temperatures set in. Excess moisture around the leaves and soil can lead to fungal infection and rot.
The leaves are the best guide to checking if you have got the watering right.
- An underwatered Jade plant has drooping leaves with a wrinkled surface. The leaves will lose some of their plumpness.
- An overwatered Jade will have leaves that are turning yellow and mushy, particularly near the stem. The leaves will lose their firmness and will feel squishy if gently squeezed.
Crassula Ovata Dormancy
The Jade plant is a summer dormant succulent. It grows in fall, winter and spring and enters a dormant state in summer when growth will be slow.
Summer dormant succulents are winter-growing succulents. That means they will need watering during winter, albeit at a reduced rate, because evaporation will be slower in the lower temperatures. Even though they are dormant in summer, the higher temperatures mean evaporation will be happening, and your succulent will still need some water.
You will probably need to water your Jade plant about half as often in summer and winter as you need to water it during spring and fall. However, you should always check that the soil is completely dry before watering rather than sticking rigidly to a timed schedule.
Dormancy is important for flowering. If your jade is planted outside in a climate that does not experience frosty winters, your plant will experience the natural seasonal ebbs and flows of temperature and rainfall that go hand-in-hand with dormancy.
Inside, however, conditions tend to be similar year-round, and you may need to move your Jade plant to a cooler spot during summer to allow it to rest.
Temperature And Humidity
The optimal daytime temperature range for Jade Plants is 65 – 75 degrees Fahrenheit (18 – 24 degrees Celsius), which also happens to be a comfortable indoor room temperature.
Nighttime and winter temperatures down to 55 degrees Fahrenheit (13 degrees Celsius) are optimal. However, it can cope with temperatures a little hotter or colder than this range for short periods of time. We regularly experience daytime temperatures over 85 – 90 degrees Fahrenheit (29 – 32 degrees Celsius) where I live, and Jade plants thrive in semi-shaded areas.
Jade plants don’t like rapid temperature changes, which can lead to dropping leaves. If you are moving your Jade to a new location with a very different temperature, acclimate your plant slowly to the new temperature.
For indoor jade plants, protect them from cold drafts, such as an icy blast from an outside door opening or the down-draft of an air conditioning unit. During winter, don’t let their leaves sit close to cold window panes.
They cope best in average room humidity of 40 – 50% or lower. There is no need to mist your Jade plant. Misting could even lead to excess moisture on the leaves and soil’s surface resulting in fungal growth and rot.
Can Jade Plants Survive Winter?
Jade plants will tolerate temperatures as low as 45 degrees Fahrenheit (7 degrees Celsius) for brief spells, but Crassula ovata is not cold-hardy and will not survive frosts. If you grow your Crassula ovata outside and you live in an area that regularly experiences temperatures below this range, consider planting it in a pot so you can bring it inside during winter. Otherwise, you will need to protect it from cold temperatures with a frost cloth or other suitable covering.
Soil
Jade plants need loose, well-draining soil – a succulent-specific potting mix is best. In their native environment, they grow in sandy soils that provide plenty of aeration and good drainage or on rocky hillsides where water will run off quickly.
The roots of Jade plants can take up water quickly when it is available. That water is then stored in the leaves and stem.
If your Jade plant is watered too often or left in damp soil for too long, it can absorb too much water, resulting in root rot and squishy, rotting leaves and stems.
Succulent-specific soils are perfect for Jade plants. You can even mix through additional sand or perlite to increase the drainage and aeration.
Your Jade plant will not thrive in a compact, rich soil that retains moisture.
Fertilizer
Jade plants are slow-growing and do not need regular fertilizer. Being heavy-handed with fertilizer can result in chemical burns to the roots and yellowing leaves.
If you want to give your Jade a nutrient boost, use a succulent-specific fertilizer sparingly once in spring and once in the fall.
Pruning
You don’t have to prune your Jade plant, although it’s a good idea to remove any dead or damage leaves or branches.
However, regular pruning can encourage new growth and train your plant into a compact, bushy shape. Just wait until your Jade plant is at least a year old before traumatising it with a trim!
The best time to prune is in the spring when your Jade plant is actively growing but you can prune it at other times of the year.
To prune:
- Use a sharp, sterile cutting tool and cut cleaning through a branch just above a leaf node (where a pair of leaves grow from the stem).
- You can use this cutting to propagate a new Jade plant – there are instructions later in this article.
- Two new branches will grow in a v shape where you have cut.
The new branches will grow in the same direction as the pair of leaves immediately below the cut.
As mentioned previously, each leaf pair grows perpendicular to the leaf pair below. You can use this knowledge to choose where to prune so you ensure new growth in the direction you want to achieve for a rounded, bushy plant rather than a flat plant.
Is Jade Plant Poisonous To Cats And Dogs?
The Jade Plant is considered toxic to cats and dogs who might be tempted to nibble on its leaves. Substances in Crassula Ovata can cause poisoning, resulting in lethargy and vomiting.
Even if your pet doesn’t chew on your plants, the leaves and branches can be fragile if constantly knocked, so it’s a good idea to keep Jade plants out of reach of pets and children.
Good news – deers don’t like Jade plants and Crassula ovata is considered deer-resistant.
Pests & Diseases
While healthy Jade plants are fairly resilient to pests, they can be attacked by the common succulent pests – mealybugs, scale insets, spider mites and scale insects.
These appear as unusual white cotton-wool spots or dark spots on the leaves, under the leaves or on the stem, such as the aphids below.
Most can be treated by spraying with neem oil or by wiping the affected areas gently with rubbing alcohol. Remember to treat regularly to get rid of any eggs that have hatched in the meantime.
See our full guide to common succulent pests for pictures to help you recognise which pest is infesting your plant and how best to treat each type of pest.
Root Rot
Root rot can affect your Jade plant if it is overwatered and left sitting in damp soil for prolonged periods. The damp conditions encourage fungal growth and bacteria that attack the plant’s roots. Since root rot starts in the soil, it can be difficult to spot until it has advanced to the upper part of the plant and the leaves start to turn yellow and mushy and the stem begins to rot.
Overwatering and root rot is the biggest killer of succulents. Once it has set in, root rot is difficult to cure. You may end up having to take a cutting from a healthy part at the top of the plant to start again with a new plant.
It is better to underwater your Jade plant than to overwater it.
Read our in-depth article on root rot, its causes, signs and solutions.
Other Fungal Diseases
Jade plants do not like excessive humidity or moisture around their leaves and stems. The moisture can lead to fungal infections and rot.
Try to keep your plant in a location with a gentle airflow to encourage evaporation, and try to avoid getting water on the leaves when watering your plant. Strong drafts are to be avoided however.
Repotting
Jade plants are slow-growing and do not need regular repotting.
They should only need repotting if:
- you have a young plant that is actively growing and has outgrown its current pot
- your plant is root-bound
- you wish to refresh the soil – say every 3 to 4 years
To repot your Jade, gently remove it from its current pot and carefully remove as much soil as you can from around the roots without damaging them.
Rehome in a new pot that is only slightly bigger than the old pot using succulent-specific soil that is loose and well-draining. Create a hole in the soil for the plant’s roots to go. Place your plant in the soil and gently backfill with soil around the stem. Gently press down the soil around the stem to hold the plant in place but don’t over-compact the soil.
Place your plant in a spot with bright, indirect light. Give it a chance to recover from the move and avoid stressful, direct harsh sun for a while. Wait a couple of days before watering as usual.
The best type of pot for Jade plants are those with a drainage hole and made of porous material that will allow water evaporation through the pot walls. Unglazed ceramic, terracotta and concrete are ideal. Plastic, glass and metal are less desirable.
Choose pots in light colors that reflect the light rather than dark colors that will absorb heat from the sun’s rays and potentially cook your plant’s roots.
Crassula Ovata Jade Plant Propagation
Jade plants are relatively easy to propagate. Stem cuttings are the easiest, most reliable and quickest way to grow a new jade plant, but you can also propagate jade plants from a leaf; it just takes a lot longer. Spring is the best time to propagate but you can try and propagate at any time of the year, particularly if you are planting a broken branch. Avoid propagating in winter.
How to Propagate A Jade Plant From A Stem
- Using sharp, sterile scissors, cut the top of a healthy stem just below a pair of leaves. You want a section approximately 2 – 4 inches (5 – 10cm) long.
- On the original plant, trim off the cut stem down to the leaf node below. Eventually, two new stems should grow out from that point.
- Back to your cutting – carefully remove the bottom leaves, leaving four leaves in place at the top of the stem. You can use the leaves you’ve removed to propagate additional plants if you wish.
- Place the cut section in a safe place for a couple of days to allow the cut to dry out and callous over.
- Next, fill a small pot with well-draining succulent soil. Use a suitable implement, a chopstick is perfect, to create a central hole in the soil. Place the cut stem end in the hole leaving the lower leaves about 1 inch (2.5 cm) above the soil’s surface. Gently tamp down the soil around the stem to keep it firmly in place. Don’t compact the rest of the soil – just press down enough around the stem to keep the plant upright and in place.
- Put the cutting in a location with bright, indirect light. Don’t put it in full sun.
- Leave for a couple of days, and then water sparingly with just a tablespoon of water. Continue watering every week until the plant feels firmer if you try to wiggle it gently – a sure sign that roots are growing.
- After a couple of months, you can transplant your new jade plant to its permanent pot and continue caring for it as any other Jade plant.
Can Jade Plant Grow From A Leaf?
Yes, Jade plants can be propagated and grown from a leaf.
- Simply twist a healthy leaf gently to remove it from the stem.
- Leave the leaf in a safe place to allow the end to dry and callous over.
- After a couple of days, fill a small pot with well-draining succulent soil and place the leaf on top of the soil. Mist lightly with water and place in a spot with bright, indirect sunlight.
- The leaf will start to grow roots in a few weeks. Lightly mist with water every few days and keep out of direct sun.
- Once the plant has grown to a mini jade plant, transplant it to a larger pot and care for it as usual.
It will take much longer for you to have a reasonably-sized Jade plant from leaf propagation than from stem cuttings.
Will A Jade Plant Grow In Water?
You can grow a jade plant stem cutting in water temporarily.
- Using sharp, sterile scissors, cut the top of a healthy stem just below a pair of leaves. You want a section approximately 2 – 4 inches (5 – 10cm) long.
- On the original plant, trim off the cut stem down to the leaf node below. Eventually, two new stems should grow out from that point.
- Back to your cutting – carefully remove the bottom leaves, leaving four leaves in place at the top of the stem.
- Place the cut end in a glass jar of water, room temperature tap water is fine. Use a clear glass jar so you can see any roots growing.
- Roots should grow. You will probably need to wait about a month or so until the roots have reached 1 – 2 inches (2.5 – 5 cm) in length.
- Next, fill a small pot with well-draining succulent soil. Use a suitable implement, such as a chopstick, to create a central hole in the soil. Place the roots in the soil leaving the lower leaves about 1 inch (2.5 cm) above the soil’s surface. Gently tamp down the soil around the stem to keep it firmly in place. Don’t compact the rest of the soil – just press down enough around the stem to keep the plant upright and in place.
- Put the cutting in a location with bright, indirect light. Don’t put it in full sun.
- Leave for a couple of days, and then water sparingly with just a tablespoon of water. Continue watering every week until the plant feels firmer if you try to wiggle it gently – a sure sign that roots have taken hold and your plant is continuing to grow.
- After a couple of months, you can transplant your new jade plant to its permanent pot and continue caring for it as any other Jade plant.
The advantage of this method is that you can see when the roots have grown. Kids love this method!
Can I Propagate A Jade Plant From a Branch?
If you want an instant larger Jade plant or if you’ve knocked a branch off, you can propagate a new Jade plant from a whole branch section.
- Use a clean, sharp tool to make a clean cut on a branch. If you are using a broken branch, make a clean cut and tidy up the broken end.
- Allow the cut to callous over for a couple of days before planting it in succulent soil.
- Water every few days with a tablespoon of water at the base of the plant.
After a couple of months, the cutting should have grown roots, and you can water as you would usually for a Jade plant.
Crassula Ovata Types
There are a number of Crassula ovata varieties with different colored leaves and different shapes and sizes.
These are the most common Crassula ovata varieties:
- Classic Jade Plant (Crassula ovata): This is the standard and most commonly recognized Jade Plant. It typically has oval or oblong leaves that are glossy and deep green. The leaves may have a red or brown edge, especially when exposed to bright light.
- Hummel’s Sunset (Crassula ovata ‘Hummel’s Sunset’): This variety is similar and shape and size to the common Jade plant but has vivid leaves in shades of red, yellow and orange.
- Dwarf Jade (Crassula ovata ‘Crosby’s Compact’ ): A dwarf version of crassula ovata with leaves that are slightly more curled
- Mini Jade (Crassula ovata minima): Another smaller version of a classic Jade plant with smaller leaves and narrower stems.
- Hobbit Jade Plant (Crassula ovata ‘Hobbit’): This variety has tubular or trumpet-shaped leaves with a small opening at the tip. The leaves often have red edges.
- Gollum Jade Plant (Crassula ovata ‘Gollum’): Similar to the Hobbit Jade, the Gollum Jade has elongated, tubular leaves with a small opening at the end. It is often characterized by red tips and a more twisted leaf shape. This is often called Ogre Ears or the Shrek Ears plant in deference to the popular cartoon character.
- Tricolor Jade Plant (Crassula ovata ‘Tricolor’): This variety has green leaves with cream-colored or yellow variegation, along with hints of pink or red. The variegation creates a striking visual contrast.
- Lemon and Lime Jade Plant (Crassula ovata ‘Lemon & Lime’): This cultivar features bright green leaves with yellow or lime-green variegation. It’s a vibrant and eye-catching type of Jade Plant.
- Red Edge Jade Plant (Crassula ovata ‘Red Edge’): As the name suggests, this type of Jade Plant has leaves with distinct red edges. The red coloration becomes more pronounced in bright light.
- Giant Jade (Crassula ovata ‘Giant’): This variety is characterized by larger leaves compared to the standard Jade Plant. The leaves are oval or oblong and can reach significant sizes when well cared for.
There are more varieties than listed above and new cultivars and hybrids are always being developed.
Other Jade Type Plants
You will see a range of plants referred to as jade plants. I’ve seen every plant in the Crassula family, other varieties of Crassula ovata (see above), and plants from other succulent species referred to as jade plants.
Here are some other plants also called Jade plants that are not Crassula ovata varieties:
- Silver Dollar Jade (Crassula arborescens)
- String of Buttons (Crassula Perforata)
- Baby’s Necklace Jade (Crassula rupestris)
- Miniature Jade – Elephant Bush (Portulacaria afra)
Jade Plant FAQs
Why are the leaves on my Jade plant facing down?
Jade plant leaves will droop if it is too dry. Give it a good soak and keep watering it with thorough soakings as soon as the soil is completely dry.
Why is my Jade plant turning red?
The leaves of Jade plants turn red at the edges when ‘pleasantly stressed’ by bright light and direct sunlight. The whole leaf can even take on a red tinge. If the leaves start to look burnt or a very deep red, move your plant to an area with less direct sun or provide partial shade, particularly from midday and afternoon sun.
If, however, the leaves are wrinkled, its a sign of dehydration and you should water your Jade thoroughly and give it a rest in an area with less direct sun.
Jade plant falling over
Jade plants can get top heavy, particularly after watering when they are holding more weight. If this happens, use a wide, heavy pot that allows the roots to spread out and provide a stable base.
You could provide a stick as a stake to stabilise the plant and consider pruning some of the excess growth to reduce the weight.
How to make a Jade plant thicker?
The secret to a sturdy Jade plant with a thicker trunk, is optimal care in terms of light in particular to stop it from getting leggy, plus watering and good, well-draining loose soil. Regular pruning will help maintain a bushy shape and encourage rounded growth rather than upwards growth.
Why is my Jade plant dropping leaves?
Your Jade plant is dropping leaves because it is under some form of stress. It could be underwatering, overwatering, not enough light, too much light or too cold or too hot.
If the leaves are wrinkled, underwatering is the most likely culprit. Yellowing and squishy leaves point to overwatering, while stressed red leaves indicate too much light.
Leaf drop can also occur if your plant experiences a rapid temperature change or is placed in a draft. Don’t place your Jade plant near an open window, in the down-draft of an air conditioning unit or near an outside door that is regularly opened blasting your Jade with cold air.
Try to move your Jade plant to a bright area with indirect light and a mild temperature – an average room temperature of 65 – 75 degrees Fahrenheit (18 – 24 degrees Celsius) is ideal.
Why are there white spots on my Jade leaves?
White, powdery spots that are easily wiped off are caused by a build up of minerals from tap water leeching out of the leaves. Just wipe them away gently, they are not causing any harm. Note that they will return unless you switch to watering your Jade with distilled water.
If the spots are fluffy and cotton wool-like, they could be mealybugs. Treat by rubbing leaves, stems and the underside of leaves with rubbing alcohol to remove them. Treat regularly to ensure new bugs from previously unhatched eggs are also removed.
Why are the leaves on my Jade plant turning yellow?
The three most likely causes for yellowing leaves on a Jade plant are overwatering, over-fertilizing or a root-bound plant.
- Overwatering will result in soft, squishy leaves. Allow the soil to dry out thoroughly and the plant to recover before watering again.
- Over-fertilizing produces chemical burns to the roots or a nutrient imbalance. The yellow leaves won’t be squishy. Stop applying fertilizer and allow the plant to recover. You might want to repot the plant in new soil that doesn’t contain fertilizer.
- A root-bound plant doesn’t have enough soil and lacks nutrients. Repotting your Jade can fix this.
Summary
The Jade Plant, Crassula ovata, is a beautiful succulent that is easy to care for, is low-maintenance and will tolerate neglect.
It will thrive indoors and outside as long as you don’t overwater it and cold drafts and frosty nights are avoided.
It is easy to propagate new Jade plants, and with good care, your original Jade plant should live for many decades!
