Among the Christmas cactus and amaryllis and other holiday plants, I noticed the retail stores in my area were selling jade plants. Interestingly enough, these were blooming. Though most people don’t grow this for its blossoms, they can add a touch of interest when they’re grown as indoor plants.

Those of us in cold climates may think of jade plants as houseplants. However, in Florida and other warm areas, these can be grown outdoors. In fact, retail nurseries in these areas may offer numerous species and varieties of jade plants specifically for outdoor landscapes.

The ordinary jade plant is Crassula argentea. It is originally native to South Africa where the climate tends to be dry. So plants have evolved to survive those conditions.

The jade plant is hardy enough to grow outdoors in zone 10, which would include parts of Florida and California. Under good growing conditions, this plant can reach ten feet in height. At the cooperative extension office in upstate New York, our office had a huge plant that had been around for years. It must have been between four and five feet in height with a spread of several feet. The trunk was quite thick and almost woody. In many respects, jade plants resemble small trees.

This freely branching plant is very full. The thick foliage has a rubbery feel. While the upper part of the leaf is rounded and green, the lower ones with reddish tinges can provide contrast. If they’re grown in full sun, they will get touches of red along the margins of the foliage.

Numerous times, I saw the one at extension producing bunches of blooms. These are typical of succulent flowers, sort of star-shaped in crowded clusters. They tend to be white with some touches of pink or red. Though some don’t consider them to be outstanding blooms, they can provide interest nonetheless—especially if the plants are growing in outdoor landscapes. Usually, the blossoms would appear in the spring when the foliage is beginning to get good color from exposure to the sun. Under good growing conditions, the blossoms can produce little seed pods.

As a houseplant, the jade plant can be allowed to pursue its natural growth habit, which is to produce lots of forking stems and branches. Or it can be trained to be a single stemmed plant. For that to happen, it may be necessary to prune it as needed. The easiest method is to allow the plant to take a natural course, and then you’ll have less pruning to do. The exception would be limbs that are rubbing against each other.


Even when it is grown outdoors as a landscape plant, the jade plant tends to have a slow growth rate.

Normally as a houseplant we grow the jade plant in full sun. However, when grown outdoors in Florida and other warm climates, they thrive in dense shade. In that case, the foliage doesn’t get a chance to develop its characteristic reddish tinges.

Whether it’s grown indoors or outdoors, this succulent requires very little water. Requiring very little fertilizer and a minimum of water, it is easy to care for. They sometimes get scale or mealybugs. If present in small numbers, these can be removed with a cotton swab soaked in alcohol.