Mini jade?

9 years ago

Hi all-

Just looking for some information on a new plant I just got. It looks like a jade but a mini version. The mature leaves (I'm assuming they're mature) are less than the size of my thumbnail. It almost looks like this is a hybrid of a jade and some kind of Sedum. Google searches for dwarf and mini jade don't bring up anything that looks like this.

So, if anyone knows what this is could you tell me a bit more about it? Will the stems mature to be woody like regular jade? Are they good candidates for bonsai?

As with all new plants I plan to re-pot and remove all old soil but any suggestions on medium? My other jade plants happily live in gritty mix but not sure this is the way to go with this one.

Any help is much appreciated!

Featured Answer

Ryan Singrossi

9 years ago

It is a Crassula ovata 'minima,' 'mini jade,' or 'baby jade' my understanding is they are all the same thing. It is basically like you thought a mini version of your big jade. If your other jade is doing well I would treat it the same. That is a nice size plant, and would make an excellent bonsai style plant. Maybe a nice bonsai pot would go well? I just started training this bigger jade cutting as a bonsai and put it in a really small bonsai pot I have. A bigger bonsai pot that I used would work for yours (not too big though) there is a trick to bigger bonsais through defoliation to a achieve that small leaf look. Which I will eventually work on for mine but you already have the small leaves.

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Comments (6)

Whitters (9a, south of England)
Original Author
9 years ago
Thanks for the advice Ryan! That's a lovely bonsai pot as well. Must keep an eye out for one!
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Ryan Singrossi
9 years ago
I didn't realize south of England was 9a. It gets that warm there?
Whitters (9a, south of England)
Original Author
9 years ago
Not in any sustained way but we can get warm in spells in the summer. I think the zones in the UK are a bit different than the US but I got my zone from here: http://www.trebrown.com/hrdzone.html I'm in the orange tip right on the south coast :)
Jenna (Massachusetts 6a)
9 years ago
Ryan, that is the cutest little pot I have ever seen. And the 'Grow' rock! Perfect! I have a fallen jade leaf that just starting putting out some roots and the tiiiiiiiniest leaf; I think I would love to find a little pot just like this and see if I can train the baby.

Whitters, beautiful jade! So compact and handsome! Good luck with it! :)
Whitters (9a, south of England) thanked Jenna (Massachusetts 6a)
Ryan Singrossi
9 years ago
Thanks Jenna! I got the pot at a bonsai nursery in West Los Angeles, along with the "grow" rock. I've seen them other places every once in awhile. Hopefully you will have luck finding your own! You could also look online. It was about 4 dollars. The plant is from a tip cutting I took and it rooted really nicely. I "topped" the plant when I potted it up and am hoping for some new branches to sprout soon.