Larger of the two Jade Plants from California on 5-1-09.
FAMILY: Crassulaceae
GENUS: Crassula
SPECIES: ovata
This outstanding member of the Crassulaceae family is probably the most widely grown plant in parts of California. They are winter hardy in zones 9a-11 (20-40 degrees F). They like full sun the best, but sometimes intense sun can burn the leaves. Some descriptions say they grow to a height of 4-6 feet, but I have personally witnessed plants that are at least 15 feet tall or taller! Some claim they are very slow growers and will only reach 3 feet tall in 20 years, other say they are fast growers… I guess it may depend allot on how they are grown. I would say that pot grown specimens would not grow as well as those grown in the ground. They do bloom, usually pink or a pink shade, in the winter months (according to info). They are very drought tolerant, and grow best if you let the soil dry out between waterings. Less water will promote better root growth, and that is important as the plant will tip over if they have allot of upper growth and very few roots to hold them up. They like to be watered thoroughly when watering, in very well drained soil. As with all cacti and succulents, it is best to plant them in a professional medium specially formulated for cacti and succulents.
Jade Plant from California at 9 inches tall on 12-16-09.
Believe it or not, I brought these from California! These magnificent plants grow as big as small trees in California! There is a yard close to Suzanne’s home in Carson that has these along the border of his front yard… Then we were at an office building one night and there were several of these growing along the building. They were at least 15′ tall and had trunks close to a foot wide! Someone had sawed off a branch and laid it in a bare spot…Just laid it on the ground. Well, I could not resist taking a couple of cuttings. I put them in a glass of water and when we flew to Mississippi I put them in a zip-lock sandwich bag and put them in my suitcase. The picture above is the biggest of the two! I have had it for a year now, and it has probably grown around 5 inches or so.
Smaller Jade plant at 4 inches tall and 5 inches wide on 12-20-09.
The plant in the above is the smaller of the two. It has NOT grown that much in a year! So, why is one growing faster than the other when they were taken from the same branch and planted in the same type of mix?
