A-Z houseplants: jade plant
Invite good fortune into your home with this easy-to-care-for house plant
Jade plant
Also known as the money tree, it’s believed to bring luck and prosperity, making it a popular housewarming gift. The fuss-free nature of
Crassula ovata
means you can be confident it’ll stay looking good, even if you’ve struggled to keep other house plants thriving. The round, fleshy leaves are thought to resemble coins and that’s where it gets its reputation for bringing wealth to a home.
As a succulent, the jade plant needs only occasional watering. It grows slowly, with stems that thicken to give the appearance of a miniature tree and, as it matures you may even get small, white flowers.
This easy-going plant only needs to be watered once the soil is completely dry to the touch, around every couple of weeks in summer. In winter, just water enough to keep the leaves from shrivelling. A common cause of death is overwatering – if the soil is damp but the leaves are yellow and falling off, stop watering for a few weeks as it means the roots are rotting and need to dry out.
The glossy leaves on this variety – ‘Hummel’s Sunset’ – are edged in shades of red and yellow. You can enhance the colour of the tips by growing it in brighter light. It is happiest when its roots are tightly packed together, so only repot every three years to refresh the compost, using a cacti and succulent mix. It will become top heavy as it matures, so move it into a heavy pot after a few years to stop it toppling over. Any stems that snap off can be used as stem cuttings to make new plants, or follow our guide to taking leaf cuttings, below.
Position Grow in a bright spot with plenty of light. It will cope well with cooler temperatures, but must be kept above freezing.
Care Mix a balanced liquid feed into your watering every two or three times during spring and summer to encourage growth. Stop feeding in autumn and reduce watering to encourage flowering.
Details Bin any leaves that fall off – they will make cats and dogs feel nauseous. Take care as the sap is toxic to humans.