Houseplant
Jade Plant
Crassula ovata · Crassulaceae
Also called: Jade Plant, Money Plant, Money Tree, Lucky Plant, Friendship Tree, Dollar Plant
Jade Plant (Crassula ovata) is a low-water houseplant well suited to Tucson and the low desert. It's a slow-growing houseplant.
Jade Plant at a glance
- Water use
- Low (established)
- Sun
- Bright light, including some direct sun; indoors a south- or west-facing window is ideal. Insufficient light causes leggy, weak growth. (If acclimated gradually it can take filtered outdoor light, but it is frost-tender.)
- Mature size
- 1-3 ft. tall indoors (occasionally larger over many years).
- Growth rate
- Slow
- Bloom
- Clusters of small white to pale-pink star-shaped flowers (mostly on mature plants in good light)., Late fall to winter, when mature and given bright light.
- Cold hardiness
- Frost-tender succulent; protect below 40°F and from any frost. Grown indoors in Tucson (can summer on a shaded/bright patio but must come in before winter frost).
- Soil
- Fast-draining cactus/succulent mix; gritty and porous. A pot with drainage holes is essential.
- Native range
- South Africa and Mozambique
- Best used as
- Indoor succulent accent, Bonsai-style specimen, Low-water windowsill plant, Easy propagation/gift plant
- Wildlife
- None (indoor plant).
- Toxicity
- Toxic to cats and dogs (vomiting, lethargy, incoordination per ASPCA); generally considered low-toxicity/mildly toxic to humans. Keep away from pets.
How to grow Jade Plant in Tucson & the low desert
Watering
Water thoroughly only when the soil is fully dry, then let it drain completely; as a succulent it stores water and rots easily if overwatered. Water sparingly in winter. This is the most common way to kill a jade.
Fertilizer & nutrients
Light feeder; fertilize a few times during spring and summer with a balanced or cactus/succulent fertilizer diluted to half strength. Do not feed in winter.
Pruning & care
Prune to shape and encourage a tree-like form; pinch tips and remove leggy growth. Leaves and stem cuttings root very easily, making propagation simple.
Notes
Typically grown as an indoor or covered-patio container plant in Tucson; it loves the bright light but is not frost-hardy, so it cannot stay outdoors through low-desert winter freezes. Its biggest enemy in Tucson is overwatering, treat it like a desert succulent and err on the dry side. Sunburn can occur if moved abruptly from indoors into intense direct Tucson sun, so acclimate gradually.
Sources: University of Arizona Cooperative Extension; Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum; ASPCA Toxic and Non-Toxic Plant List