I would guess too dry, may be wrong, though.

Christopher

Not enough water.

Yep, those leaves are dried out.

Josh

Josh I have a silver leaf 'Jade' also it has a silver bark, when the leafs dry up that is the way they look, I can think of any thing else either at the moment. Unless the leaves ozz from too much water and that is dried onto the leaf? ? ? I have never seen it before however on mine. These are not picky plants and the only thing that I think may kill them is too muuch water, or living in a house with a heater, they love the cold. My friend Malcolm in England had one flooded(water even came into the house 8") out in a storm out side in the cold, rooted off at the base and came back the next spring, they hate water especially during our hot time of our year. I would like to follow this, I really want to know as well. I'll check my silver one tomorrow, it is growing in open run, it gets sun all day, when it not raining here in zone 10. They don't like heaters it is a horrible house plant. Another idea, could it have root crowding? Norma

The leaves on my Jades dry up like this and have that silvery dusty appearance.
I have numerous examples that have fallen off into the Jades' pots. When my Jades
froze one year, the dead leaves shriveled up like this before falling off, as well.

In small terracotta pots, in gritty mix, plants need to be watered more than every two weeks.

If the plants have dried so much that roots have died, you must be careful with watering.....
you don't want the dead roots to become a pathway for rot.

Josh

Don't Jades drop leaves before putting on new growth?

Laura, Jades naturally drop the oldest leaves.
But these leaves are drying at the tips of the branches.

Josh

Help me out here. Do jades go thru a drying phase in nature? A time when they drop leaves and rest for a rebirth so to speak and when we keep them as house plants we don't give them the chance to do this??
Stush

Do jades go thru a drying phase in nature?

Yes but not by no means is it a choice. Understanding an established natural Jade in it's natural drying phase can last for a while.

As house plants we don't give them the chance to do this ?

Kind of but like others I tend to do it for them by pruning.

Not to suggest that the OP should prune the better growth on the plant in pic. Suggesting they should consider a low volume watering and gradually water more by volume over time VS Watering high volume all at once.

Wes is right.

Stush, there is no deciduous dormancy for Jades.
They are opportunistic growers, and they will grow whenever conditions are conducive.

Jeni, I took some pics of the dry older leaves on a couple of my Jades this morning (right before watering).
Only one pic turned out decent...but you can't pick up the silvery dusty look very well.

Apologies for vanishing after asking a question... things picked up in life and I've been a bit busy as of late, but did want to thank you all for your responses. Based on this and the leaves on other jades that are consistently soft and flexible (all in TC pots), it's becoming clear that I'm a habitual underwaterer (vs. once being an overwaterer). No doubt, the very, very dry winter air is not helping. I'll step up to a weekly pot test and water as needed.

Josh, your picture was very helpful, thank you!

Jeni