Crassula Care and Varieties

Succulents in the genus Crassula are native to South Africa. They include shrub (branching) varieties commonly called jade plants, as well as "stacked crassulas" with leaves pancaked along thin stems. See examples of both in the gallery below.

Common jade plant (Crassula ovata) blooms in winter. This large specimen is about 20 years old.

Green jade (Crassula ovata) is a common houseplant worldwide. Nearly any nursery sells it, and it's often added to wreaths, container gardens, topiaries and used as a bulletproof garden shrub. Newer cultivars are more interesting, as easy to grow and well worth having. Look for those with rippled or tubular leaves; diminutive varieties; and others variegated with gold, yellow, cream, pink or red.

Growing Conditions

Crassulas prefer mild, frost-free regions with low humidity (but not desert heat) typical of Southern California from the Bay Area south. The thicker the stem, the  more drought-resistent the plant.

Desiccated jade (left); normal jade (right) in an unwatered garden. Seasonal rains plumped its wrinkled leaves.

Although jades appreciate regular water, they're often the last plants standing in neglected gardens---an indication of their ability to do without. Leaves shrivel as plants draw on stored moisture, then plump when rains return.

Like aloes, many crassulas stress beautifully to shades of red, yellow and orange. Sun makes the difference. In low light, even the reddest jades will revert to green.

Crassula corymbulosa, a stacked crassula,grown in low light on left; in full sun on right

Names often are inconsistent and confusing, likely due to forms and colors varying within a species, sellers trying to ID plants from photos, and official changes in botanical names. As I’ve lamented in the past, horticultural nomenclature is not an exact science; Latin names accepted decades ago may be different today. The name you give a search engine may yield widely varying results. A case in point is the label above. Google "Crassula 'Red Pagoda'" and you'll get plants that look like these but are fully grown and only one-tenth the size! 

Stacked crassulas

Propagation

It's easy to take stem cuttings from shrub crassulas: Cut off the top few inches and stick it upright in the ground. As with most succulents, new roots will grow where old leaves were attached.

Cuttings of several types of jades have bands of meristem tissue on their stems. It's where leaves once grew and where new roots will form.

Nurseryman Aaron Ryan shows how to propagate Crassula perforata 'Variegata' (Click to see the video.)

What about stacked crassulas? Many look delicate, their stems no thicker than spaghetti. The method is basically the same, except you need to gently remove the lowest leaves. One stem can yield a dozen cuttings! See my video: How to Propagate Stacked Crassulas.  I also demonstrate propagation techniques in my Stacked Crassula video.

Plants that prune themselves

A 'Sunset' jade that pruned itself suggests a bonsai.

A remarkable thing about jades is that random limbs will shrivel and fall off. This enhances air circulation, allows more sunlight to enter, and starts new little plants which root below the mother plant.

Eventually you get a sort of bonsai---a nicely balanced shrub that resembles a small tree. This is most noticeable in old potted specimens with thick trunks. Simply pull any baby plants that you don't want.

Pests and problems

Very little bothers crassulas. The biggest challenge with these basic, low-maintenance succulents is protecting them from temperatures below 32 degrees F.