Crassula ovata - Jade Plant

Said to bring luck, the Jade Plant also brings a splash of colour and low-maintenance foliage into your home. It loves a bright windowsill, and with enough light can develop a touch of red colour on the edges of its leaves. Happiest with dry soil, your Jade Plant won't ask too much of you, and in time may grow big enough that its stem becomes a wooded trunk, giving the desert shrub aesthetic to your window - and, so we've heard, bringing a bit of luck in too.

Scientific Name
Crassula ovata (thick-leaved plant with egg-shaped leaves)

Synonyms: Toelkenia ovata, Cotyledon lutea, Cotyledon ovata, Crassula argentea, Crassula articulata, Crassula lucens, Crassula nitida, Crassula obliqua, Crassula portulacea

Originally described as Cotyledon ovata in 1768, this plant was identified as part of the Crassula genus in a 1917 paper, which classified it as Crassula ovata.

Common Name(s)
Jade Plant, Money Plant, Money Tree, Jade Tree, Friendship Tree, Lucky Plant

Origin
Southern Africa, (arid areas, especially the Cape Provinces of South Africa, KwaZulu-Natal and Mozambique)

Light
Your Crassula ovata will grow best in a bright window. Choose a south- or west-facing window to keep it happy and help it keep that red colour on its leaves. Keep an eye on it in summer, as harsh sun can scorch the leaves.

Water
Allow the soil to dry out completely between waterings. It needs a big soak when you water, and plenty of time to dry out in between as soil that stays soggy risks root rot. During winter, leave longer between waters.

Humidity
Thrives in low-humidity environments. Make sure you aren't keeping it anywhere especially damp.

Soil
Use a mix designed for cacti and succulents for best results; if you're mixing one yourself, adding sand, grit and perlite will help give your plant good enough drainage. Repot every 2-3 years in spring as the plant grows.

Food
Feed every couple of months in the spring/summer growing season. A diluted houseplant or cactus & succulent feed will work well. Feeding over winter is not necessary as the plant will be growing much less.

Temperature
Your Crassula's ideal temperature is 15-26°C; make sure it does not get colder than 12°C in winter.

Pet-safe
No, this plant is toxic to pets and small humans.

Sprouts Top Tips
The red tips on the leaves become more vibrant with brighter light exposure, so keep it on a bright windowledge if you like the eyecatching colour.
Make sure you leave enough time for the soil to dry between waters - you can check with a wooden chopstick or skewer that the soil in the centre has dried.

Did You Know?
This plant is sometimes called the 'Money Tree' thanks to its reputation for bringing luck to whoever owns it.