Native to South Africa, Crassula commonly known as Jade plants thrive in most indoor environments. Loved for their thick fleshy leaves and stems as well as their forgiving nature, Jade plants may also be referred to as the money plant, money tree, dollar plant, and lucky plant.
Jade plants are very common as houseplants due to their low maintenance care requirements and association with luck and prosperity, according to Feng Shui.
With over 300 different species of Jade plants in the genus Crassula, they make for an incredibly versatile houseplant. Found all over the world, some Jade plants can be grown as a tiny desk top plant, a shrub, or even a small tree.
Prized for the decorative value and many unique growth forms, Jade plants are an important part of any succulent collection. With occasional watering and light pruning, Jade plants will do very well in almost any light conditions as long as they are kept out of excessive shade.
Jade plants are quite popular as gifts or in offices, since they are considered to help bring good fortune. With their easy to care for succulent qualities, they make an excellent choice for beginner houseplant owners.
Jade plants is versatile houseplant that comes in a wide range of varieties, and with so many different varieties to choose from, this article will help you identify some of the most popular types of Jade plants, as well as providing tips for optimal care.
Growing Conditions For Jade Plant
Jade plants should be grown in a well-draining cactus or succulent potting mix. Their ideal temperature is between 65°F and 75°F (18°C – 24°C). Place your jade plant in a location with plenty of bright, indirect sunlight and water infrequently, only once the soil has completely dried.
Jade Plant Overview
There are about 300 species of jade plants from the genus Crassula. They are native to the deserts of southern Africa and are commonly found as a houseplant either in the form of a small bush or bonsai tree.
The name ‘jade’ comes from the jade-green colour of their leaves, similar to the gemstone. However, their leaves may slightly change colour depending on certain conditions.
Brighter conditions can cause them to display a yellowish-orange color, or even red blushing around the edges. Some may even produce tiny white, pink, or yellow flowers with the right amount of sunlight.
The leaves of jade plants are usually teardrop-shaped, oval-shaped, or wedge-shaped. In classic succulent fashion, their leaves are thick and fleshy allowing the plant store extra water for times of drought. This makes these plants highly drought tolerant.
When grown outside in hot tropical climates, jade trees will feature thick woody stems and can grow up to 8ft tall. In the wild, these succulents will often have a tree-like appearance with thick woody stems and shiny green or yellowish leaves.
15 Beautiful Jade Plant Varieties To Add To Your Collection
Crassula is a large genus of succulent, with approximately 300 species and more than 1,400 cultivars, while some are very rare, but most jade varieties are easiest houseplants to care for. Range from tiny ground-covering species to those the size of small trees
Here are 15 of the most popular jade plants varieties ideal for indoor growing.
1. Crassula Ovata ‘Money Plant’
By far the most common of all the jade plants variety is the Crassula Ovata, also known as the money plant or money tree, since some jade plants can be grown to have a tree-like appearance.
They money plant has the classic teardrop-shaped jade green succulent leaves on a thick, fleshy stem. Sometimes these leaves can grow bunched together and be quite numerous, making the jade plant resemble a tiny bushy shrub.
The best location to grow your money plant indoors is in a spot where it will receive plenty of bright, indirect light. Make sure it is protected from the harsh rays of direct sunlight.
2. Crassula Ovata ‘Lemon & Lime’
The ‘Lemon & Lime’ cultivar of Crassula ovata is a beautiful and striking variegated succulent to add to your collection.
Growing as a compact and bushy shrub, this jade plant features elongated oval leaves with lime green and yellow stripes. When grown in an environment with plenty of sunlight, the leaves may even develop light reddish coloring around the edges.
The ‘Lemon & Lime’ jade bush can reach a height of up to 4ft tall, or be regularly pruned and maintained as a small bush. They are highly drought tolerant and require minimal care to thrive.
3. Crassula Ovata ‘Hummel’s Sunset’
The ‘Hummel’s Sunset’ cultivar of jade plants is a beautiful award-winning variety with golden yellow and green leaves, lined with brilliant red edges. These impressive colors are the reason this cultivar is also known as the ‘Golden jade tree’.
As with most jade varieties, the ‘Hummel’s Sunset’ jade has thick woody stems and branches with fleshy, teardrop-shaped succulent leaves.
The colors will become more intense during the winter months when lack of sunlight causes the leaves the turn a more dramatic shade of yellow.
4. Crassula Ovata ‘Skinny Fingers’
Named after its long skinny finger-like leaves, the ‘Skinny Fingers’ jade will usually feature dense foliage giving it the appearance of a small shrub. The cartoonish fleshy succulent leaves are the classic jade green color, sometimes featuring red tips.
This jade plant is not considered a dwarf cultivar, however it doesn’t get very large either. A healthy ‘Skinny Fingers’ jade plant can grow to about 3ft tall.
With the right conditions, it is capable of producing tiny star-shaped white or pink flowers in the winter.
5. Crassula Ovata ‘Hobbit’
Another one of the most common cultivars of jade plants for growing as a bonsai tree is the Crassula ovata ‘Hobbit’. Other names for this plant include: Hobbit Fingers, Finger Jade, and Organ Pipe Jade Plant.
Easily confused with the Crassula ovata ‘Gollum’, the two plants have a very similar look and growth habits. The unique and attractive trumpet-shaped succulent leaves come in many different forms and varieties.
You can expect this jade plant to reach up to 3ft tall and 2ft wide at maturity, with leaves that can be up to 2 inches long themselves. They can produce tiny star-shaped flowers which are either white or pinkish-white in color.
6. Crassula Ovata ‘Gollum’
Like the Crassula ovata ‘Hobbit’, this jade plant is also very popular for growing as a bonsai tree. While they have a similar appearance, the main difference between the Crassula ovata ‘Hobbit’ and Crassula ovata ‘Gollum’ is in the shape and colour of the leaves.
The leaves of the ‘Gollum’ jade plant are more tubular in shape than the ‘Hobbit’, with curled tips which resemble that of a circular suction cup. They also lack the red coloring which is common with the ‘Hobbit’ jade.
7. Crassula Ovata ‘Botany Bay’
The Crassula ovata ‘Botany Bay’ is a jade cultivar with coin-shaped leaves which grows as a compact, bushy shrub. It features attractive light green foliage with a red outline on the tips of the leaves. This red coloring can become more significant with the stress of drier conditions.
The ‘Botany Bay’ jade plant is a slow growing variety that takes well to occasional pruning and is easy to form into various shapes. It can even reach up to 3ft tall at maturity if provided the space to do so.
8. Crassula Arborescens ‘Silver Dollar Jade’
Also known as the ‘Silver Dollar Jade’, ‘Chinese Jade’, or ‘Blue Buddha Bush’, this type of jade is known for its coin-shaped silvery-blue leaves with burgundy edges.
As a slow-growing small succulent shrub, this jade plant is highly drought tolerant and will thrive in a location with bright, indirect light. With the right conditions, it can produce some long lasting tiny pink flowers.
9. Crassula Arborescens Undulatifolia ‘Ripple Jade’
This jade shrub is known as the ‘Ripple Jade’ due to its twisted appearance and ruffled, waxy leaves. These leaves feature a lovely blueish-green color with a hint of grey.
The dense foliage and woody stems give this plant an attractive bushy look. As a dwarf jade plant only reaching about 3ft in height, the ripple jade can resemble a small bonsai tree.
10. Crassula Coccinea ‘Red Crassula’
The ‘Red Crassula’ jade plant is one of the few jade plants actually grown for its beautiful flowers. This dwarf succulent shrub also features interesting triangular-shaped leaves coming off of cone-like stems.
Unlike most other jade plants who bloom in the colder months, the ‘Red Crassula’ shows off its beautiful deep red flowers in the summertime. You can expect it stay on the smaller side, only growing to be a little over 1ft tall at maturity.
11. Crassula Cultrata ‘Blush Plakkie’
The ‘Blush Plakkie’ jade plant, also known as ‘Sharp-leaved Crassula’, is a unique cultivar of jade from the species cultrata. It can be identified by its reddish stems and long, skinny, light green leaves. Sometimes, some reddish-brown blushing can also be seen on the edges of the leaves.
This is a dwarf jade species, only reaching about 32 inches tall at maturity. It will take on more of a mini shrub-like appearance, rather than the tree-like appearance we are used to from most other jade plants.
Another unique trait about this Crassula is its flowers. The tiny clusters of yellowish-green flowers grow out from the ends of the stems. These flower stems can sometimes reach an impressive 1ft in length.
12. Crassula Sericea ‘Hottentotta’
The ‘Hottentotta’ jade plant is another very unique and unusual cultivar in the Crassula genus. It feature small, plump succulent leaves which are matte greyish-green and covered in round papillae which give them a fuzzy appearance. The leaves are also able to produce some slight red colouring when the plant is stressed correctly.
Reaching a max height of around 6 inches tall, this plant grows as a dwarf jade shrublet. When it blooms, it will produce clusters of tiny white flowers on elongated stems.
13. Crassula Rupestris ‘Baby’s Necklace’
The ‘Baby’s Necklace’ jade plant is very unique cultivar of jade for a few reasons. First, it grows as a vine rather than a shrub or tree. It will begin to grow upwards, until it spills over the side of its container as it matures.
Instead of the usual oval-shaped leaves we’re used to with jade plants, the ‘Baby’s Necklace’ variety of jade has triangular shaped leaves. These leaves will be a greenish-yellow or blueish-yellow color, with maroon blushing around the edges.
You can expect this jade plant to grow up to 3ft tall, with seasonal blooms of star-shaped light pink flowers.
14. Crassula Marnieriana ‘Jade Necklace’
Similar to the ‘Baby’s Necklace’ jade, Crassula marnieriana has a vine-like growth habit, growing upwards stacking the leaves on an arched stem until it becomes too heavy and spills over the side of its container.
The leaves of this succulent are the classic jade-green color. They come with a thick and chubby appearance, in irregular triangular shape. This is a smaller jade variety, which will likely only reach about 8 inches in height.
15. Crassula Tomentosa ‘Woolly Crassula’
The ‘Wooly Crassula’ is by far one of the most interesting varieties of jade plants. Instead of the usual shrub-like or tree-like jade growth habits, this jade plant takes on the form of a rosette.
The reason behind its name, is that the leaves of this jade are covered in fine white hairs giving the plant a fuzzy, or woolly, appearance. These leaves are light greyish-green in color and can grow up to 4 inches long and 1 inch wide.
In the early to mid summer months the ‘Woolly Crassula’ can produce white or light yellow flowers standing on stems up to 2ft tall.
Conclusion
Jade plants come from the genus Crassula, which contains many different beautiful species and cultivars. Most often growing as a compact bushy shrub or bonsai-like small tree, there are also some wildly different and unique varieties to choose from.
As a succulent, jade plants usually require full sun to partial shade, and will not do well in low light conditions.
They are native to desert habitats where their succulent leaves are able to store water for times of drought, meaning all jade plants will do best with minimal watering. Make sure your jade is potted in a well-draining succulent or cactus potting mix.
Known for their association with luck and prosperity, their minimal care requirements and simple beauty make jade plants a wonderful addition to any space.
Written By
Amber Noyes
Amber Noyes was born and raised in a suburban California town, San Mateo. She holds a master’s degree in horticulture from the University of California as well as a BS in Biology from the University of San Francisco. With experience working on an organic farm, water conservation research, farmers’ markets, and plant nursery, she understands what makes plants thrive and how we can better understand the connection between microclimate and plant health. When sheโs not on the land, Amber loves informing people of new ideas/things related to gardening, especially organic gardening, houseplants, and growing plants in a small space.
Thank you for I believe that my wife has a Gollum Jade, we where thinking this was not a Jade plant. Now I know from you that there are lot different kind of plants in this family. Robert Grinage
Thanks for amazing info! I too had bought Jade “Gollum” thinking it might not be a bonsai. You had very clear info.
Thank you so much for your kind words and I’m thrilled to hear that you found the information on my blog helpful! It’s always a delight to connect with fellow plant enthusiasts like yourself.
Ah, the Jade “Gollum” bonsai, I can understand how its unique appearance might have misled you at first. It’s fascinating how plants can sometimes surprise us with their characteristics, isn’t it? But I’m glad my article provided you with clear information about this particular bonsai variety.
If you have any more questions or if there’s anything else I can assist you with, please don’t hesitate to reach out. Wishing you continued joy and success with your plant collection!