Jade Plant (Crassula ovata Gollum)

Jade Plant (Crassula ovata Gollum) is a small evergreen, sparingly branched, shrubby succulent plant. It grows up to 90 cm tall and up to 60 cm wide. It has interesting tubular green leaves that become tinted red along their concave tips when the weather becomes cooler. Gollum Jade may produce clusters of small, star-like, white or pinkish-white flowers in winter. The Gollum Jade Plant is a good choice for smaller containers and a great specimen plant for terrariums. Jade plant has a slight toxicity for human and pets. It will not cause death or serious illness but can cause nausea. We advise you to keep the Gollum Jade Plant away from the children and pets.

Scientific Name: Crassula ovata Gollum
Synonyms: Crassula ovata ‘Monstruosa‘, Crassula argentea ‘Gollum‘, Crassula portulacea ‘Gollum‘
Common Names: Jade Plant, Gollum Jade, Trumpet Jade, Hobbit’s Pipe Jade, ET’s Fingers, Jade Tree, Money Tree, Finger Jade, Succulent Spoon Jade.

How to care and grow Jade Plant (Crassula ovata Gollum)?

Light:

It thrives best in bright light with some direct sunlight. A sunny windowsill will be an ideal position for these plants. They will not flower without sunlight and inadequate light will cause developing spindly growth.

Soil:

It grows well in a well-drained soil with a neutral pH. Add coconut coir and Pine bark to make the soil more drainage friendly.

Water:

Water regularly, during the growing season (April to September), but water sparingly when dormant (autumn and winter). Allow the top of the soil to slightly dry out before watering again.

Temperature:

It prefers ideal room temperatures of around 60°F – 75°F / 15.5°C – 24°C. During winter no less than 50°F / 10°C. Cold weather and damp weather is not good for Jade. It loses its color and turns yellow and mushy.

Fertilizer:

Fertilize every two weeks during the growing season, from spring through summer with a balanced liquid fertilizer diluted by half. Do not fertilize during the winter.

Humidity:

They survive well in quite humid conditions naturally, although you will please them with water misting.

Pruning:

You can prune Jade Plant in the early spring because new growth begins during the spring. See the overgrown stems and decide how you want to shape the plant. Use sharp shears to cut overgrown stems and cut out unhealthy branches completely.

Re-potting:

Re-pot in spring when the plant becomes root bound or the soil needs renewing. A good solid and heavy pot is best to use because of Jade plants are well known for being top heavy. A heavy pot will prevent them from tipping over.

Propagation:

It can be easily propagated by stem cuttings, leaf cuttings or by basal offsets. The cuttings or offsets should be taken in spring. Take 2-3 inch long stem cuttings and plant it in a 2-3 inch pot of equal parts mixture of peat moss and sand and keep it at normal room temperature in the bright filtered light.

Pests and Diseases:

Jade Plants are susceptible to the mealybugs. Use a suitable pesticide. Before using a spray insecticides make sure that the product used is labeled for jade plants.