The print dialog will open. Choose a printer or select Save to PDF.

Download combined Word document

Plant Information Sheet

Jade Plant

Crassula ovata

Jade Plant showing woody stems and thick leaves
Whole plant in South Africa. Photograph: Abu Shawka, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain.
Plant typeWoody succulent shrub
LightBright light; some sun
WaterSoak, then dry well
EdibilityNot edible
U.S. nativeNo
Native to LafayetteNo
InvasiveNot persistent outdoors in Indiana
Self-seedingRare indoors

Identification and care

Opposite pairs of thick oval leaves grow on branching stems that become woody with age. Give very bright light and acclimate gradually to direct sun. Water deeply, drain, and let the mix dry before watering again. Protect from frost.

Standard soil mix

Use two parts coarse mineral aggregate, one part potting mix, and one part coarse sand or fine gravel in a pot with an open drainage hole.

Flowering and propagation

Small star-shaped Jade Plant flowers
Flowers. Photograph: creator listed on source page, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain.

Mature plants may produce clusters of small star-shaped flowers after bright summers and cool, dry nights. Stem cuttings root reliably after the cut surface has dried.

Environment and native habitat

Crassula ovata growing in Camdeboo National Park
Native habitat, Eastern Cape. Photograph: Bernard DUPONT from FRANCE, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0.
Jade Plant among dry rocky Eastern Cape vegetation
Rocky native setting. Photograph: Bernard DUPONT from FRANCE, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0.

Rocky South African habitats combine strong light with rapid drainage and seasonal dry periods. Thick leaves store water; continuously wet roots defeat that adaptation.

Sources

Related Information Sheets

Climate Information Sheet

Climate lessons for Jade Plant

Climate sets the limits for water use, seasonal growth, and outdoor survival.

Lafayette translation

Seasonally dry subtropical conditions include bright days and cooler nights but not Lafayette winter cold. Keep the plant frost-free and water less in weak winter light.

Care principle

Reproduce the function of the native setting rather than copying a watering calendar. Check light, temperature, root-zone air, drainage, and the plant’s current growth before acting.

Source

Ecology Information Sheet

How Jade Plant works in its habitat

Its form and life cycle reflect relationships with water, light, substrate, and animals.

Ecological relationships

Thick opposite leaves store water, woody stems support a spreading crown, and star-shaped flowers provide resources for visiting insects when mature plants bloom.

Care principle

Reproduce the function of the native setting rather than copying a watering calendar. Check light, temperature, root-zone air, drainage, and the plant’s current growth before acting.

Source

Environmental Information Sheet

Native environment of Jade Plant

Crassula ovata comes from southern Africa and grows primarily in subtropical dry shrubland and rocky slopes.

What this means in cultivation

Strong light, coarse mineral soil, and rapid drainage match the plant’s woody succulent form and water-storing leaves.

Care principle

Reproduce the function of the native setting rather than copying a watering calendar. Check light, temperature, root-zone air, drainage, and the plant’s current growth before acting.

Source