🌱 Introduction
You have probably walked past one a hundred times without noticing. Chunky green leaves, a trunk like a tiny tree, sitting quietly on a windowsill for years.
That's the jade plant, Crassula ovata. People call it the money plant or friendship tree, and the nickname fits — owners pass cuttings to friends for decades, and the plant just keeps going.
🔍 What does a jade plant look like?
A jade plant has thick, oval leaves about 3 to 5 cm long, glossy and deep green, often with a thin red edge when it gets strong light. The stems turn woody and brown as it ages, so a mature plant looks like a miniature tree, usually 30 to 90 cm tall indoors.
Those fat leaves are the point. They store water. So does the trunk. Squeeze a leaf gently and it feels firm, almost rubbery — that's a full reservoir. A soft, wrinkled leaf? It's thirsty.
🌿 How does it grow, and how long can it live?
It grows slowly, a few centimetres a year, branching as it goes, and it can live for 50 years or more in a pot. In winter, older plants sometimes push out clusters of small star-shaped flowers, white or pale pink, if they get cool nights and short days.
Starting a new one is almost silly-easy. A single fallen leaf laid on soil will often root on its own. A stem cutting works faster:
- Cut a healthy stem, about 8 cm long.
- Leave it for two or three days so the cut end dries.
- Set it in gritty, free-draining soil and water lightly.
Don't water on a schedule. Soak it, let it dry out completely, then soak it again. More jade plants die from kind, frequent watering than from neglect.
🗺️ Where does it come from, and where is it happiest?
It comes from the dry, rocky hills of South Africa's Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal, where it grows among shrubs in thin soil and long dry spells. That tells you everything about keeping one happy at home.
Give it the brightest spot you've got — four or more hours of direct sun if you can. A south or west-facing window works well. It wants gritty soil, a pot with a drainage hole, and room temperatures between about 18 and 24°C. It'll sulk in soggy soil and drop leaves if you move it somewhere dark.
🐾 Is it safe around pets?
Jade plant is listed as toxic to dogs and cats, so it's not a plant to leave within chewing reach. Eating it can upset the stomach and, in larger amounts, slow the heart rate — keep it on a high shelf or in a room your pet doesn't use, and check any new houseplant before you buy it with the Eaoae safety checker.
