Jade Plant (Crassula spp.)

Jade Plant Plant Features

Crassulas are in an amazingly diverse family of succulents. They offer fashionable looks with low water needs indoors and out. One of the most popular crassula species is jade plant (Crassula ovata). Jade plant grows a tree-like trunk and thick, fleshy dark green leaves. Other types feature different leaf sizes and colors -- from low-growing calico kitten to pine-like Crassula tetragona.

Most of the crassula varieties we grow are well suited to bright spots indoors. Enjoy these easy-care succulents on window sills and under plant lights. They thrive on desks and tabletops. A collection of several different crassulas gives your favorite space a fun sculptural look.

Their succulent nature means many crassulas are also ideal for use in DIY projects. Add crassulas alongside kalanchoes or echeverias in living wall or hanging planter projects. Outdoors, most thrive year-round in subtropical, frost-free areas. In colder areas, crassulas are good annuals or can be brought indoors before cold temperatures hit in winter.

Get more inspiration from our free guide to growing and decorating with cacti and succulents.

Dig into our tips for selecting the best succulents for your home or yard.

Jade Plant Growing Instructions

Though crassulas are a wide-ranging family of succulents, most common varieties have similar care needs. Indoors, give them lots of light -- the more the better -- to keep them in good form and color. Many, such as jade plant, tolerate spots with medium light, but don’t thrive in these conditions.

Like many succulents, it’s better to water crassulas too little than too much. They can quickly rot if the potting mix stays too wet. We get a lot of questions asking how often to water crassulas indoors. The best answer is when the top couple of inches of the potting mix dry to the touch. How often that is varies for everyone. It's based on conditions such as light, temperature, humidity levels, the makeup of the potting mix, the size of the pot, and other factors.

Most are slow growers, so you don’t need to fertilize crassulas a lot. You can get by feeding them as little as once or twice a year (in spring or summer). Use a general-purpose fertilizer. If you’d like to push them to grow faster, you can fertilize more often. No matter what type of fertilizer you use, never exceed usage recommendations on the product packaging. Too much fertilizer can burn the roots or even kill them.

Note: Crassulas and other succulents are not intended for human or animal consumption.

Water

Low water needs
Light

Indoors: High light

Outside: Sun
Colors

Blue

Pink

Purple

Red

Variegated

White
Special Features

Colorful foliage

Purifies the air

Super-easy to grow

Complement your Jade Plant

Snake Plant
Snake plant's low water needs and dramatic texture makes it a perfect partner for practically any crassula variety.

Kalanchoe
Most kalanchoe varieties grow beautifully with crassulas.

Echeveria
Enjoy star-shaped echeverias with upright crassula varieties.

Our favorite varieties

Calico Kitten

Crassula marginata 'Variegata'

Cheery and colorful calico kitten bears eye-catching gray-green leaves edged in pink and cream. It grows about 6 inches tall and 10 inches wide. Zones 10-11 as a perennial

Campfire Crassula

Crassula capitella ‘Campfire’

Campfire crassula is loved for its bold, bright colors. The emerald-green leaves take on fiery orange-red edges in cool weather or when under stress. It can grow 3 feet tall and wide outdoors. Zones 10-11 as a perennial succulent outdoors

Coral Jade Plant

Crassula ‘Coral’

Coral jade plant will look like a living sculpture on your desk. This succulent features thick, upright tube-like leaves that make it easy to see why it’s called coral. It grows 12 inches tall and wide. Zones 10-11 as a perennial outdoors

Crassula mesembryanthemoides

A succulent that stands out from the crowd, this crassula has long, narrow gray-green leaves with small white hairs, giving it silvery look. Over time, it can reach 2 feet tall and 3 feet wide. Zones 10-11 as a perennial

Crassula multicava

At first glance, you might think Crassula multicava is a sedum rather than a crassula! It bears green leaves that have a slight ruffle and reddish edges. It stays low, forming an 8-inch-tall groundcover outdoors or tidy little houseplant indoors. When happy, it produces clusters of pinkish-white flowers. Zones 10-11 as a perennial

Crassula tetragona

This low-maintenance, low-water succulent looks like a miniature pine tree. It sports needle-like dark green leaves atop small trunk-like stems. It can grow 2 feet tall and 1 foot wide. It’s a perennial in Zones 10-11.

Curly Jade

Crassula arborescens undulatifolia

Also called ripple jade, this succulent bears architectural, curled, twisted lime-green leaves that give the plant a fun, undersea look that fits in well paired with coral jade. Curly jade grows about 12 inches tall and wide and is a perennial outdoors in Zones 10-11.

Gandalf Jade

Crassula ‘Gandalf’

Gandalf Jade plant is a small, upright-growing selection that has green, tube-like leaves edged in reddish-purple. It grows about 2 feet tall and wide at maturity. Outdoors, you can grow it as a perennial in Zones 10-11 -- otherwise treat it as an annual or houseplant.

Jade Plant

Crassula ovata

Jade plant is loved for its easy-care needs and has long been grown as an easy-care houseplant. It features thick, dark green leaves and clusters of pinkish-white flowers when grown in high-light situations. Jade plant can reach 5 feet tall and 3 feet wide. Note: It may also be sold as Crassula argentea. Perennial in Zones 10-11

Propeller Plant

Crassula falcata

Propeller plant earned its common name because of its flat, succulent, propeller-like leaves. When happy, it blooms with clusters of reddish flowers. It grows 2 feet tall and wide and is a perennial in Zones 10-11 Note: It’s also sold as Crassula perfoliata

Variegated Jade Plant

Crassula ovata ‘Variegata’

Variegated jade is a fresh, fun take on a tried-and-true favorite. It’s just as easy to grow as jade plant, but features silvery-white streaks in the leaves. Like its nonvariegated cousin, its flowers are pinkish-white. While slow growing, it can reach 5 feet tall or so over time. You may also see it sold as Crassula argentea ‘Variegata’. Zones 10-11 outdoors