How to care for and propagate a Crassula ovata ‘Jade Plant’

A complete guide for caring for, pruning and propagating all types of Crassula Jade Plants – and knowing the potential pests and disorders it is susceptible to.

• Botanical name: Crassula ovata
• Common names: Jade Plant, Money Plant, Money Tree, Lucky Plant, Friendship Tree
• Family: Crassulaceae
• Type: Evergreen succulent
• Flower colour: White or pale pink
• Height: Max. 1.5 - 2.5 meters
• Spread: Max. 1 meter
• Time to reach ultimate height: 10-15 years

Growing Conditions

• Light: Full sun
• Water: Little
• Temperature: Not frost tolerant. Min. 5ºC
• Soil: Free-draining sandy or loamy
• Aspect: South, east or west-facing

What is a Jade Plant?

Crassula ovata ‘Jade Plant’ is an interesting plant which starts to look tree-like in shape, as it grows – it has a main leader (trunk), which becomes thicker and “woodier” as it ages. It is evergreen; retaining its leaves and colour all year round; and can bear panicles of tiny, star-shaped flowers in the winter. Eventually, it can reach over two metre in height - when it really starts to look like a tree or can be kept as a “small tree”. It is a great choice for creating a Bonsai specimen.

There are many different cultivars within this plant genus and species. My favourite is Crassula ovata ‘Gollum’ (the Gollum Jade) which is an intriguing plant with interesting trumpet-like, tube-shaped leaves. As with the common Jade Plant, it is tree-like in shape and behaves much in the same way, given the same care. This care guide can be applied to the majority of Crassula ovata cultivars and varieties including ‘Lemon & Lime’, ‘Skinny Fingers’, ‘Hobbit’, ‘Hummel’s Sunset’, ‘Minima’, ‘Botany Bay’ and ‘Harbour Lights’.

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Where should I grow a Crassula ovata?

In the UK, grow your Jade Plant indoors, as it will not withstand our winter frosts. Place it where it will receive plenty of light – a general rule for most Crassulas. If it does not receive enough light, it may become weak, but you must be mindful of leaf scorch, as if it is exposed to too much light, too quickly, it will suffer from “plant sunburn”. Introduce it to bright sunlight gradually, over a few weeks.

Ensure you keep it in an adequately airy, uncrowded position, in a free-draining soil or specialist cactus/succulent potting medium.

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How much water should I give my Jade Plant?

They really don’t need very much water – less than most houseplants. If you over water your Crassula ovata it will lead to root-rot and may kill your plant.

Water occasionally, only when the soil is really dry. You can check this by literally sticking your finger an inch or so into the soil – if it is dry, water it and if it still feels at all damp, don’t. When in doubt, air on the side of caution and underwater a Crassula.

You need to start reducing the frequency that you water your Jade Plant in the autumn and through the winter, and most can get by with being watered just once a month. Just keep checking the soil moisture levels with your finger – its the easiest way.

Another way to tell whether your plant needs watering, is to keep an eye out for when the leaves start looking a bit shrivelled. If they start to look a bit wrinkly, check the soil – it will probably be dry and it’ll be time to do some watering.

There is no need to mist Crassulas, as they really don’t like being over watered.

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What soil do Crassulas like?

The most important thing for any succulent plants, is that the soil you pot them in must be well-draining. Regular compost and soil usually retains too much moisture.

You can readily purchase a specialist cactus and succulent potting compost, or you can make a DIY version – you just want to get the air space to soil particles ratio right.

An easy to make mix contains sand, perlite and soil. Try – 1 part sand : 1.5 parts perlite : 1.5 parts soil. If you don’t include enough soil, it will not compact enough to keep the roots of the plant stable, but if you add too much, it will retain the water “too well”. The sand and perlite keep it airy and free draining, whilst the soil stops it from losing all the moisture.

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Do I need to feed my Crassula plant?

Crassula ovata doesn’t require much feed, but you can feed it every couple of months with a balanced liquid fertiliser throughout spring and summer. In the autumn and winter, you can reduce this significantly (I stop all together) as the plant is dormant during this time.

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How do I get my Jade Plant to flower?

It can be quite difficult to get a Jade Plant to flower in the UK (as we grow them indoors) – the tricky bit is fooling it into entering a “resting period”, exactly as it would if it were grown outdoors over winter. You need to ensure that you move it to a cool part of your home (not freezing), where it will be fooled into “thinking” it’s winter time. This can be tricky in a centrally-heated home. You need to make sure that wherever you move it to still receives the adequate four to five hours of light it requires.

Cease feeding it, give it complete darkness at night time and allow soil to completely dry out over winter. If you manage this, you may well be the lucky plant owner of a Jade Plant covered in lovely clusters of star-shaped flowers. It is completely worth it - I have had great success getting mine to flower in my unheated conservatory (I’m certain to always keep it frost free and add shading in the summer to prevent leaf scorch).

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How do I repot my Crassula?

It is important to remember that, as with a lot of species within the Crassula genus, the Jade Plant will be quite happy when grown in the same pot year after year. If anything, they like to be slightly under-potted, but not root-bound. Don't necessarily be tempted to plant it in a big pot that has plenty of room for their roots to grow into.

As a rule of thumb, you should re-pot your Crassula ovata every two or three years, reducing this to every five years once the plant becomes older. This makes it quite an easy plant to take care of.

The best time to replant your plant is in the springtime, at the beginning of it’s growing season. Wait for a week or so before you water and feed it, once repotted.

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How do I prune my Jade Plant?

The best time to prune it is in the spring or summer, if you feel that it needs it. You may think this is necessary if it is growing in an unbalanced shape or has grown a bit off-centre – although I quite like this look. You may want to prune your plant to aid in decongestion and to strengthen the plant  – look out for a crowded centre or drooping branches as a warning sign that your plant could do with pruning.

You may find you do not need to pruneyour Crassula ovata, but they do respond well to it. It keeps the structure open, balanced and healthy, and can help if you would like to improve the shape or want to create a bushier plant.

Remove dead or damaged stems and leaves at any time, throughout the year.

• Always choose thick, woody stems to prune, as generally the thicker the stem, the more branches it is likely to produce. Look for brown rings – this is a good indicator that these are the ones to prune. N.b. Good light levels promote thicker, woodier stems,
• Make a clean cut just 5mm above a node (from where a branch or leaf grows) using a sharp, sterile pair of secateurs or knife (clean the blades of your tool with rubbing alcohol before use).
• Two new stems will grow from the place you have cut, which will lead to a bushier plant.
• Do not remove more than a quarter to a third of the plant in one go – unless you absolutely need to (i.e if it’s been badly physically-damaged or has irreparable damage from pests – in which case, cut it back severely and give it good care. You’ve got nothing to lose). Big jobs and art forms such as Bonsai trees need doing in stages, over time (see below).
• Take your time, and be careful where you cut. Crassula are forgiving, but you can’t “uncut” a stem. Stand back regularly to check the overall balance and shape you are achieving as you make cuts – look at it from all angles.
• Aftercare – Allow all cut surfaces to callous (dry) over before you water the plant, and resist repotting it for at least a few weeks. Don’t feed until there are new leaves growing.
• Don’t throw your cuttings away! Healthy cuttings can be propagated to grow more Jade Plants (see below).

• Taming overgrowth and easing congestion –
  Prune for overall balance and future growth – plan ahead and don’t just cut it down to the shape you want now (it’s not a hedge). This is a great time to fix unbalanced plant shapes, and to create an open centre to allow good airflow.
• Pruning for plant health –
  Sometimes a Crassula plant can become sick and may need rescuing, in order for it to recover. Remove all dead diseased, yellowing or pest-ridden branches. Also remove any stems with badly sun damaged leaves. Don’t be nervous about being “drastic” – all Jade Plants are pretty resilient to pruning and it will be worth it.
• Strengthening pruning –
  A Jade Plant can become leggy and sparse when it hasn’t received enough light. Trim the spindly stems back by a third to conserve the plant’s energy and encourage healthier, sturdy growth.
• Shaping to maintain size –
  If you simply want to maintain the size of your plant, just prune the new growth as it grows (at the beginning of spring) – no need to look for brown, woody-looking rings.
• Shaping for form –
  All Crassula ovata, including my favourite, the ‘Gollum’ cultivar, can be pruned to create the plant shape you want to achieve. Most common, popular art forms are the rounded, bushy shape and the tree-like, more upright, columnar structure.

Tip – Always be cautious about pruning very young, small plants. Wait until your plant is a year old, otherwise you risk stunting its growth as the roots and central stem are still developing. 

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How do I propagate my plant?

All Jade Plants are wonderfully, easy plants to propagate – it is a magical way to get more plants for free! They can be easily propagated by leaf or stem cuttings. These propagation methods can be applied to all species and varieties of Crassula.

Always take cuttings (leaf and stem) from a healthy plant. It is best to use a well-grown Jade Plant for propagating, particularly when taking stem cuttings, as you will need to take cuttings that are long enough to produce good results.

• Choose a (healthy, pest and disease-free) cutting that is 5-10cm long.
• Remove any leaves at the bottom, leaving at least two pairs of leaves at the top.
• Leave in a warm area so it can callous over (this takes about a week).
• Optional – Dip the calloused ends into a hormone rooting powder.
• Plant the cutting –
• Fill a small pot with appropriate potting mix and lightly tamp down (not too much!). Compost should be slightly moist - not wet.
• Make a hole in the soil with a cane and insert your cutting vertically into the soil. Prop it up with stones if it wont stand up vertically yet.
• Firm in lightly making sure that there are no large gaps left around the cutting and that it is in contact with the soil.
• Root growth will grow from the end of the cutting and any calloused over nodes under the soil from where you removed leaves.
• Place in bright light, away from direct sun. Don’t water yet (the soil should stay just about moist for now).
• Once you notice your cutting is firmly rooted, water it lightly (after about 2 to 4 weeks). From now on, treat the baby plant with much care and allow it to dry out between waterings.
• Once significant new leaves have grown, the baby plant can be moved to an area with more direct light, and given normal care, as outlined above.

Taking a leaf cutting: (VERY similar to taking a stem cutting) - Your Jade Plant will almost definitely propagate naturally by this method. This often happens in the summer when a leaf breaks off naturally and falls onto the soil’s surface below. Leave it there and you will see that it grows roots into the soil of your plant pot, and a tiny little plant starts to grow at the end of the leaf. Hoorah!

To take leaf cuttings yourself –

• Remove a healthy leaf from a healthy plant.
• Cut off carefully, or do what I like to do and twist it slightly until it comes away easily. Avoid tearing it, or leaving any of the leaf behind on the parent plant.
• Leave in a warm area so it can callous over (this takes about a week). You may see tiny roots start to develop at the end of the leaf.
• “Plant” the leaf cutting –
• Fill a small pot with appropriate potting mix and lightly tamp down. Compost should be slightly moist - not wet.
• Lay the leaf on the surface of the soil, and cover the cut end lightly with a tiny bit of soil to encourage roots.
• Place in bright light, away from direct sun. Don’t water yet (the soil should stay just moist for now).
• Once you notice your little leaf cutting has grown roots and has rooted well, water it lightly (after about 2 to 4 weeks). You may need to occasionally recover it with a bit of soil if it’s lifted up, and gently firm it in every now and again.
• You will see there will be a teeny, tiny plant growing at the end of the leaf.Treat you mini plant with care and from now on, you can allow the baby plant to dry out between waterings.
• After a few weeks you will see significant new growth, and the little plant will be a less tiny, baby plant. It can now be moved to an area with more direct light, and given normal care, as outlined above.
• The “mother” leaf will naturally shrivel up and die, so there’s no need to remove it. I sometimes like to wait until it's almost completely dried up and then bury it under the soil by covering it over, lightly. This anchors the baby plant and helps it “stay down” and in contact with the soil. Only do this when it's dry and is no longer a plump, fleshy leaf.

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What pests and diseases are Crassulas susceptible to?

When grown as a houseplant, Crassula ovata is usually pest-free, but like many houseplants can be at risk of an infestation of Mealy Bug and Red Spider Mite. 

In regards to diseases, they are pretty immune, however there are certain disorders to be mindful of. Overwatering causes root-rot, and congested branches cause lack of airflow around the plant, which can result in mildew and distorted or stunted growth.

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Help! I can’t find the answer I am looking for to help me with my Jade Plant. What can I do?

If you are still struggling with the care of your Crassula, please get in touch.