Jade Plant Care Guide

Jade plant care comes down to two things: give it as much sun as you can, and water it like a succulent by soaking the mix and then waiting until it dries. Wrinkled leaves, soft leaves and dropped leaves most often trace back to one of those two.

How often to water a jade plant

There is no fixed interval. Jade plants store water in their thick leaves and stems and do best when the potting mix dries out between deep waterings.

1. Push a finger or a wooden skewer into the mix. If it is still damp below the surface, wait.
2. When it is dry, water slowly until excess runs out of the drainage hole.
3. Empty the saucer so the pot is not standing in water.

Pot size, light, temperature and season all change how fast the mix dries, so check rather than count days. When in doubt, err on the dry side. Our guide to watering houseplants without a schedule covers the checking methods in more detail.

Wrinkled leaves vs soft leaves

Jade leaves show water problems clearly, and the two extremes look different.

What you see	Likely cause	What to do
Thin, wrinkled or shriveled leaves; mix dry	Thirst	Water deeply and let it drain
Soft, squishy or translucent leaves; mix damp	Too much water	Stop watering and check the roots
Stem soft or dark at the soil line	Stem or root rot	Unpot, cut out rot, save healthy cuttings
Wrinkled leaves but the mix is wet	Roots damaged and unable to take up water	Check the roots before watering again

A rotting jade can look thirsty, so always feel the mix first. The overwatering vs underwatering guide walks through the difference, and if roots are brown and mushy, follow the steps for treating root rot.

Why jade plant leaves fall off

Leaf drop has a handful of common causes:

• Overwatering. Wet mix causes leaves to drop and the stem to rot.
• Extreme dryness. A plant left bone dry for a long stretch can also shed leaves.
• Burned leaves. Sunburn from a sudden move into strong sun, frost or cold glass, or a reaction to an insecticide can kill leaves, which then fall.

Check the mix first, then think back to recent changes: a new spot, a cold window, a spray.

Light: direct sun, introduced gradually

Jade plants grow best with four or more hours of direct sun a day, which usually means a south-facing window. They survive in bright indirect light but grow slowly there, lose the red tint on their leaf edges, and develop drooping, leggy, stretched stems.

Leaves used to indoor light can sunburn if moved straight into strong sun, especially outdoors. Increase exposure gradually. If your windows are dim, a grow light on a timer for about 12 hours a day can make up the difference; turn it off after that so the plant gets a dark period.

Pruning to shape

Pruning keeps a jade compact and builds a thicker, tree-like trunk. Do it in spring:

• Cut stems back just above a leaf scar (the ring where a leaf pair was) or to a side branch, using a clean, sharp blade.
• Pinch soft new tips just above a leaf pair to keep growth bushy.
• New shoots usually form near the cut. Keep the pieces you remove as cuttings.

Soil and pot

Use a porous cactus and succulent mix, or add perlite or coarse sand to regular potting mix. A pot with a drainage hole is essential. Terracotta suits jade well because it dries faster than plastic or glazed pots, and its weight helps keep a top-heavy plant upright.

Repot every two to three years, or sooner if the plant is tipping over. See how to repot a houseplant for the steps.

How to propagate a jade plant

Jade roots readily from stems or single leaves.

Stem cuttings

Cut a healthy stem a few inches long. Remove the lowest leaves and leave the cutting somewhere dry for a few days until the cut end calluses. Insert it into fairly dry, well-drained mix, water lightly, and keep it in bright light. Water more normally once it resists a gentle tug, which means roots have formed.

Leaf cuttings

Twist a plump leaf off cleanly so the base comes away whole. Let it callus for a few days, then set the cut end on or just into dry succulent mix. Leaf cuttings are slower than stem cuttings. Cuttings root most easily in summer, although jade can be propagated at any time of year.

Winter care

Jade plants are semi-dormant in winter. Water less often and keep the mix on the dry side, give the plant the brightest window you have, and keep leaves off cold glass. Cool nights are fine, but freezing temperatures kill it. Hold off on fertilizer until spring growth starts.

Jade plants and pets

The ASPCA lists jade plant as toxic to dogs, cats and horses; its entry uses the name Crassula argentea, a synonym of Crassula ovata. Listed signs include vomiting, depression and incoordination. Keep it out of reach, and call your veterinarian or an animal poison control line if a pet chews it. For alternatives, see our list of pet-safe houseplants.

Because “money plant” is used for several unrelated plants with different toxicity listings, it is worth confirming what you have. Plantive, an iPhone app, can identify a plant from a photo and show its care guidance.

Sources and further reading

• Jade Plant, Crassula ovata — University of Wisconsin–Madison Extension
• Jade Plant: A No-Fuss Houseplant — Penn State Extension
• Jade Plant: Houseplant How-To — SDSU Extension
• Toxic and Non-toxic Plants: Jade Plant — ASPCA