Photo by Kat Pearson.
BY KAT PEARSON, GIRL IN THE GREEN
“Jade by the door and you’ll never be poor!” or so the saying goes.
Jade plants, or Crassula ovata, are also known as ‘money tree’, and in the ancient Chinese practice of ‘Feng shui’ (pronounced ‘fung shway’) they are associated with wealth and prosperity. Put one by your front door and you welcome the wealth!
Luckily, they are easy to care for. Their native habitat is the dry rocky hillsides of South Africa and Mozambique. Their fat, juicy leaves store moisture to use in times of drought, and, like many other succulents, their photosynthesis cycle works slightly differently. Unlike most plants, which open their stomata (pores) to absorb carbon dioxide (CO2) during the day, plants that live in dry, arid conditions open their stomata at night when it is cooler, preventing excess moisture loss during the heat of the day. These succulents then store the CO2 to use during the day for their photosynthesis cycle when the sun is out, just like most regular plants. Pretty smart, huh?
Despite being used to full sun, jade plants will also tolerate part shade. Plants in full sun often develop a blush and red colour on their leaf margins and in cooler weather will produce clusters of small star-shaped flowers that are pale pink/white. In the shade, their foliage stays a more glossy green, and you are unlikely to get flowers. Too much shade will result in a leggy, weak plant, so if growing one indoors, it needs a very bright spot.
They are great as potted plants and require minimal (but not zero) water. Make sure your potting mix is well-drained and wait for the soil to be dry before watering again.
Jade plants are also super easy to propagate. They will grow from a piece of stem or even a single leaf! Take cuttings and let the cut section heal over and dry out (this prevents rot). Pop the cuttings into some potting mix, and you’ll have plants in no time.
If only money grew on trees…
