Lucky you!! Very pretty and very nice colors! I've yet to get blooms from my three year old Jade. First it has to get colder...we were 92°F with a heat index of 100°F today. Way too hot to get jades to bloom :o(
Hope mine blooms this winter for me?
Thanks for sharing!

Beautiful Jade! :D I've only seen green jades, what type is this?

Ashley

Ashley,

That's how they grow in the Northwest - that Portland John has got some chops, eh?

Seriously, I don't know the particular name for that type(?)/subspecies of Crassula ovata - it might even be a different variety or even species, though I think it's variety of C. ovata, but I don't know for sure. I think it's different enough from the regular one to warrant a different name, though. What do you think?

Cactusmcharris, i know this it wanrrants a different name. Props to john because I've never known a jade plant to flower. Very nice! :)

Ashley

puglvr.....Thanks! Sun and cold nights seem to do the trick for me.

Ashley......I believe it's a Crassula Ovata. I got it as a gift many years ago and it had no tag. It is usually green but we had an extra sunny summer this year and it just brought out red tinge to the leaves. Last year, the plant was twice as big as the photo below. The weatherman got the nightime temps wrong one night. He said it was gonna get down to 35...well it got to 25 and nature gave it a prune-job! This growth is all new from this year.

Jeffrey....thanks again for the kind words. I learned everything I know from you and all the "cactophiles" over on the C&S forum!

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What a wonderful present to get! Too bad about the winter pruning but glad to hear that the plant is resilient. I love the new little growth you have at the base of the plant! I get lots of sun in my condo and the humidity level is pretty high (not intentional but is wonders for my plants) so maybe this plant is one I should start soon. When you say that the sun brought out the reddish tint, do you mean the leaves were all green before the wonders of the sun? ;)

Thanks!
Ashley

Ashley

Oh my God John...

Absoulutely amazing work..You have yourself one nice looking tree there..

Very proud of you....It is great to see someone grow them so beautiful, and know the very ones that do!

Thankyou so much for encouraging us and for showing us these pics...

You summer it outside, then bring it in for the winter?
I may ask for help on that if you do..If you don't mind..

Bravo!

Ashley....all the little growth at the base are leaves that have shed and taken root or bits of stems that dropped and took root. Jades are very resilient like you say and probably one of the all-time easiest succulents to propagate. Yes, the plant has been mostly green in prior years but that just depends on how much sun it gets. I usually keep it somewhat sheltered on the porch from public eyes. I had 2 prize plants stolen a couple years ago. This year since the plant was pretty much devoid of foliage from the freeze I decided to put it in the sun all day and that's why it got so red this year. If you were to take a Jade that you got from HD or one of the box stores and stick it in the sun....it would get sunburned. Best to slowly acclimate them. Being that you are in Texas and probably have somewhat mild winters, you should have fairly good success at growing them. Do you have a sunny porch in your condo?

meyermike....Thanks! The plant stays outside all year, in the sun. I only bring it in if temps are going to drop below freezing. They can survive short bouts of freezing temps as long as they are dry. Cold temps and wet soil are about the only things that will kill them. Since we have rainy winters here, I keep it on a sheltered southern porch. They will absorb some moisture right from the air and sometimes in winter, it might not get watered for a couple months. Summertime....best to THOROUGHLY soak them and let go till dry before the next watering.

Advice on getting your Jades to bloom can be found here!

Here is a link that might be useful: Jade growing tips

John, thats too cool that the bits that fall off the plant are able to root without you even trying. Way to go! I'm sorry to hear about your plants getting stolen :( thats a shame. I use to be afraid that would happen to be but so far i've been lucky.

Well, I have a small stoop that gets bright morning light (east facing) and sun throughout the afternoon. My small patio is partly shaded and partly sunny, certain areas receive bright light in the late afternoon. I attached the link below of pictures of my tiny backyard when I was trying to get ideas as to what i can either plant there or what i should put in containers. (Scroll down the thread to see the photos)If anyone has ideas let me know, its still empty aside from my huge fern, spider plant, croton (which is doing amazing) begonia and some NO IDs.

Ashley

Here is a link that might be useful: Photos of my small backyard

John....What an interesting article..

I learned sooo much..I had no idea that jades do most their growing in winter months, as days shorten, and hardly grow in summer months.

Then to bring them to bloom is so possible, and that it is all on the timing, and watering..

Thanks so much for this...

Mike

Mmmmm....love the big pic of the plant!
Very nice, John. Are these leaves slightly smaller than the typical Jade leaf?

Josh

Josh,

If I might answer, the leaf size is indicative of the watering and sun - John's grown his hard. A plant that saw less sun and got more water would have a lusher leaf. A plumper plant will have a larger leaf. One that doesn't get as much resources will have a smaller leaf and, if full sun, a red margin on its leaf.

Cactusmcharris,

How long have you been involved with succulents?

Reading posts from the past and present, your answers, ideas, and suggestions are quite informative and always seem to teach me something I never knew..

Thankyou so much for sharing your expertise!

Hi, Jeff! Thanks!
Some Jades have smaller leaves than others, and I was just curious if perhaps this plant is different than the typical Jade. The trunk's color and texture is intriguing, as well.

All of my Jades develop red margins, but I find that the naturally small-leafed varieties are especially colorful!

Josh

Mike,

Over 10 years, but when I was in San Diego I was into it hard, fast and deep (too many plants and too much midnight gardening). I was into succulents and in the SDCSS (San Diego Cactus and Succulent Society) I found a second home.

Josh,

There are different cultivars of C. ovata, so maybe that's it.

Here is a link that might be useful: Succulentin' in High Society

Wow I love the picture and color on the blooms. I have the same Jade with the burgundy tips. It is about 13-14 years old and has never bloomed until this year. I kept procrastinating on bring all of my plants back in and it was late Oct before I brought them in. 3 days ago I notice white flowers for the very first time. Cold temps who knew?

John, your jade is gorgeous!!!
Where I work (a flower shop) we sell hand-thrown pottery with jade and other succulents in them. A local artist collects the clay from local rivers, streams, etc.to make the pots & his mother grows the plants. We have beautiful stuff. One of the smaller jades is in bud now. So cool! Thanks for the enlightening article.
Ashley,
Are the pix in the "names to go with faces"topic of your new condo? Congrats on your new condo & outdoor space!
Joy,
Congrats on your jade blooms!

Theresa

Thanks joyr and Theresa....I'm still waiting for the blooms to open so I can post an update pic.

Looking forward to open blooms John...it is a beautiful Jade you have there!!

Thanks for the reminder! I was wondering just today when the temps and other things would converge for blooms.

Mr. Harris!!! (Jeff was a huge mentor to me, and we all still miss him!) Sadly, I've been absconded by two other hobbies and am barely able to keep everyone alive! Luckily I realized this soon enough to admit I should stop purchasing plants!!!!

Jades are So Resilient they can take treatment that all the books tell you is WRONG. This plant pictured here, lived in this bulb pot for 15 years. I decided to bonsai it three years ago. Here is the plant just prior to 'surgery'.
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A foot AND the Jade...
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Solid roots, much serrated knife trimming to bonsai this one!
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Much 'clearing out', lots of carving. Wired into a four by 15 inch tray. First show year, along with a tray potted Sansevaria 'Hargesia somolia'.
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A year plus later. In bloom. Showing of one of my 'other' hobbies (jewelry making, moss & jade agate with carnelian).
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Supposedly, if you do regular and selective prunning of leaves, the new growth will be significantly smaller. I have not found that to be fact, but, er, I only prune twice a year. Er, if I'm truthful, it might be less than that...

Beautiful pictures, Cena!
I love the colors, the blooms, and especially that mature trunk!

If you prune leaves, the new growth *will* be smaller...until it grows out. ;)
To have small leaves for a show, one would have to anticipate the timing of the show,
and then prune ahead of time accordingly. Much as Rose-growers (Rosarians?) do.

Josh

Cena, that is a BEAUTIFUL Jade, I love how it looks on the bonsai pot!! You did a great job, thanks for sharing and posting!!

Great photos Cena! The Jqade as a bonsai looks beautiful!

Ashley

Beautiful Cena! I have an empty bonsai pot.....gonna attempt one of these myself after seeing your pics.