Are you looking for a new succulent for your collection? Look no further than the jade plant! With so many different types of Crassula succulents to choose from, you’ll have a hard time picking which is your favorite! These come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors. These are 18 of the most popular types of jade plants to choose from.
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What is a Jade Plant?
The popular houseplant we know as the jade plant is scientifically known as Crassula species, specifically Crassula ovata. It is a succulent plant native to South Africa and Mozambique. The jade plant has thick, glossy, green leaves and can grow up to six feet tall!
One of the reasons why the jade plant is such a popular houseplant is because it is very easy to care for. It doesn’t require a lot of water and can tolerate medium to bright light conditions. If you are looking for a plant that is low maintenance, the jade plant is a great choice!
Difference Between Jade Plant and Elephant Bush
It is common for people to confuse the jade plant with the elephant bush. The two plants are similar in appearance, but there are a few key differences. The most obvious difference is that the elephant bush has gray-green leaves while the jade plant has bright green leaves.
Another difference is that the elephant bush can grow up to ten feet tall, while the jade plant only grows to six feet. Lastly, the elephant bush is native to Madagascar while the jade plant is native to South Africa.
If you are looking for a succulent that is easy to care for and comes in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors, the jade plant is a great choice! With so many different types to choose from, you are sure to find one that is perfect for your home.
Basic Care For Jade Plants
Jade plants are very easy to care for and make great houseplants. They can tolerate a wide range of light conditions, from full sun to medium light. Just be sure to go slowly between light amounts, or else you could cause problems with your jade plant.
When it comes to watering, jade plants should be allowed to dry out completely between waterings. Over-watering and underwatering can both cause some major issues with your plant.
Try watering when the soil feels dry to the touch. This can range between once a week to once a month, depending on sun amounts and seasonality.
Make sure to grow it in well draining soil, and fertilize mostly during spring and summer.
Now let’s look at the popular types of jade plants!
18 Indoor Jade Plant Types
Jade Plant – Crassula Ovata
The Crassula ovata is the jade plant most often thought of with the jade plant. This plant also goes by the money plant. It has thick, glossy leaves that are oval or round-shaped. The edges of the leaves can be red, yellow, or brown. This type of jade plant can grow to be up to six feet tall!
This can also go by the name of Crassula Argentea. It’s the same plant, just with a slightly different name!
You can easily propagate this jade plant, as well as most of the others with just a single leaf!
Gollum Jade Plant – Crassula Ovata Gollum
The Gollum jade plant is another common type of Crassula ovata. These leaves look like fingers, reaching out. They are very tubular. The tips of the leaves are red or brown and often curl under. This, and the one below, get their names from J.R.R Tolkien’s books.
Hobbit Jade Plant – Crassula Ovata Hobbit
The hobbit jade plant is another type of Crassula ovata. Very similar to the Gollum variety, the leaves look the same at the base near the stem, but this variety opens out at the end, looking more similar to a regular leaf shape. The leaves are green with red or brown tips.
This also goes by the name “Ogre’s Ears,” as these leaves look very similar to Shrek’s ears.
Gollum Variegata Jade Plant – Crassula Ovata ‘Gollum’ Variegata
The gollum variegata jade plant is a type of Crassula ovata. It gets its name from the variegated leaves that look like they are clutching the stem. The tips of the leaves are red or brown and often curl under.
The leaves are different shades of green, making this a beautiful indoor jade plant type to grow.
Ripple Jade Plant – Crassula Arborescens Undulatifolia
The ripple jade plant is another great choice for an indoor jade plant. It’s got beautiful leaves that are meant to look rippled. It needs the same care as any other jade plant. This is also often called the curly jade plant.
Pink Jade Plant – Crassula Ovata ‘Pink Beauty’
The pink jade plant is another type of Crassula ovata. It has green leaves with pink edges. The leaves are oval-shaped and grow in pairs of two. When this flowers, these are also a light pink color.
This is a beautiful jade plant variety to grow with it’s pink tinge. Just make sure to care for it properly to ensure that it does bloom and you get to see these beautiful soft pink flowers!
Hummel’s Sunset Jade Plant – Crassula Ovata ‘Hummel’s Sunset’
The Hummel’s Sunset jade plant is a beautiful, colorful jade plant. It has green leaves with yellow and red edges. This is one of the varieties that’s made to have yellow on the leaves! With the yellow and red colors, it’s not hard to figure out why it’s got ‘sunset’ in it’s name.
Lemon & Lime Jade Plant – Crassula Ovata ‘Lemon & Lime’
The lemon & lime jade plant is variegated jade plant. The leaves are striped with different shades of green and yellow. This is one of the smaller jade plants, only growing to about a foot tall.
Silver Jade Plant – Crassula Arborescens
The silver jade plant is a beautiful, shimmery plant. The leaves are larger than many other jade plants, and are green with a silver sheen to them. When this jade plant blooms, the flowers are also a soft pink color.
This is one of the more popular types of jade plants to grow indoors because of it’s beautiful colors and shimmery leaves.
String of Buttons Jade Plant – Crassula Perforata
A more unusual looking jade plant, the string of buttons is a great choice for an indoor succulent. The leaves grow in a spiral pattern around the stem, and look literally like buttons stacked up. This jade plant can get up to three feet long!
Baby Necklace Vine Jade Plant – Crassula Rupestris
The baby jade plant is a type of Crassula rupestris. It has green leaves with white edges. The leaves are oval-shaped and grow in pairs of two. If you’re looking for a vine jade plant, this is the perfect option with small leaves.
Propeller Plant – Crassula Falcata
The propeller plant can also be known by the name Crassula falcata. The leaves are long ovals and grow in pairs of two. They look like propellers that would be on the end of a small plane. This can bloom with beautiful, small orange colored flowers.
Harbour Lights Jade Plant – Crassula Ovata ‘Harbour Lights’
A newer variety of jade plant, the harbour lights variation is pink and red all over on the leaves, getting even more red during the colder months. This is one of the smaller varieties.
Crosby’s Dwarf – Crassula Ovata ‘Crosby’s Dwarf’
Crosby’s dwarf is a miniature version of the popular jade plant. It only gets to be about six inches tall, and has the same care needs as a regular jade plant. This is perfect for those who want to grow a jade plant, but don’t have a lot of space. It has a beautiful reddish tinge to the leaves.
Tiger Jade Plant – Crassula Picturata
The tiger jade plant is a beautiful, unique plant. The leaves are green with yellow spots all over them. They are oval-shaped and grow in pairs of two. When this blooms, the flowers are also a light pink color.
This is one of the more popular types of jade plants to grow indoors because of it’s beautiful colors and unique leaves. This is a variety that is meant to have black spots on it!
Weeping Jade Plant – Senecio Jacobsenii
This trailing succulent may not fall into the Crassula variety, but is often thought of as a jade plant. This is a good hanging plant variety, as it can grow long, and the stems will trail down.
Purple Trailing (Weeping) Jade Plant – Senecio Jacobsenii
Under the same variety as the one above, this weeping/trailing jade has purple leaves! Grow this in a hanging container, or on a space where it can grow downwards.
Dwarf Jade Plant – Portulacaria Afra
While this isn’t a crassula plant, it is still often called a jade plant. Even though it’s not! But, if you’re looking for a succulent to make a bonsai plant out of, this bonsai jade plant is the perfect choice.
Final Thoughts
There are so many types of jade plants to choose from! Hopefully, from this list , you’ve found the perfect one for your home. Whether you want a small plant or a large one, there’s definitely an option on this list for you. If you’re looking for something unique, go with the tiger jade plant or the string of buttons jade plant. Or, if you want something more traditional, stick with the classic jade plant. No matter what you choose, these plants are easy to care for and make a great addition to any home.
Happy planting!
