I've seen a miniature Jade. It looks like the regular Crassula ovata, but it's just a mini version with smaller leaves and it seems to be an overall smaller plant. Could it be that?

I have to say though that to me it does look more & more like a Portulacaria afra every time I look at the picture. I've seen some of those that have been bonsai trained. They look pretty cool.

There are Jade aficionados on this forum. Gill, Rina and Mike come to mind. I'm sure they will chime in.

Tyler

Hi Tyler, I don’t class myself as a jade aficionado by any means! There are many others far more knowledgable than I :-)

I think it’s a Crassula ovata myself, my Port afra leaves are different in shape and thickness than how this looks. The trunk appears more Crassula like IMHO, Port afra stems show a distinct junction between what appear to be sections of slightly different sizes, more stacked or separate. Jade stems have the node line but it tends to be smoother I think.

Would be interesting to see pics prior to the heavy prune it’s had as am wondering if that’s why it’s pushed out so many small leaves like this, were the others more regular in size/number/spacing, any chance? It could be a regular jade that’s just had the fright of it’s life by being pruned back hard and has responded with multiple small leaves! It’s very interesting and also wonder how it will develop.

Must add though, in order to help your FB friend, maybe suggest a less water retaining mix? Just a thought!

Gill

Hi Tyler,

I have a miniature jade (picture 1) and its leaves are significantly smaller, a tad rounder and less elongated or oval than the regular sized jade, but the growth pattern is similar. In looking at this picture again, I’m going back to thinking it’s P. afra now because the leaves...the way they emerge on those small stems...leaf shape aside, that is not how jade leaves emerge.

Like I said, confused. :) I look forward to the others’ replies!

Gill,
I would have commented on soil if I didn’t get so distracted by the photo and ID, haha. I felt like I was hallucinating. I asked if I could share the photo to find out, but will definitely tell her to change the soil out. :)

She got it today from a nursery, she said, and it was unlabeled, so she’ll have no “before” photos.

I just posted a photo in the above post circling the petiole-like area. Doesn’t that remind you of Portulacaria? My jades don’t do that....or have never done it. I think it looks like a P. afra but with a jade stem/trunk, causing one to do a double-take?

Looks like an ex-leggy jade that has been hard-pruned bald by a time-traveling samurai. Now it's going through a dramatic growth spurt.

So. Yeah, I got the same result from doing the same thing to mine. That one looks way better.

I agree with Gill and Pagan. After a hard prune the leaves start out kinda funky.

I’m still in the jade camp folks.

Gill

Definitely a jade. Severely pruned ones do look like that.

Thanks, folks!
I have done some hack jobs on jades in my life :) but never saw one grow back like this. Good to know!

I drastically chopped many, and never saw such growth. Like it a lot!

I wonder if there is anything else going on beside severe pruning? Somekind of cresting? Or some other 'disorder'?

Grace, is there any chance your friend may be able to find out anything more about it?

Leaves look bit too juicy/thick for it being P.a. Is there such plant as "monstrose P. afra"?

It is hard to see trunk, but it seems to be quite knobby in few spots. Weirdest I have is this one - but that looks like just swollen stem, divided differently than most. Leaves are normal C.o:

Same trunk from different angle:

I just let her know that the general consensus between those most likely to ID was that it’s an overpruned jade, and called it a day. :) She bought it that day and said the nursery had no idea either.

Rina, I love that trunk. Anything special/weird done to it? Was it like that as a cutting or became that way? It’s like an Adenium + F. retusa all in one!

Grace

It was a small cutting I started. I don't have any idea why it grew that way, I just potted it up. Eventually noticed that 'bulbous' part. Nothing grows from tip of it - circled in red; there is only 1 branch that grew (visible in 1st pic) and recently new branch from lower part - blue square (I think I'll cut that off):

I am assuming there could have been some bug damage when small? - or mixed up hormones, haha; just like your friends jade (which is very nice!)

..... ‘She bought it that day and said the nursery had no idea either’....

It never ceases to amaze me at what some nurseries don’t even know these days. I would have thought good plant knowledge would have been a pre-requisite when employed in a nursery? It’s not as if Crassulas are uncommon sights in the USA from what I read on here?

Gill

It looks a lot like the portulacaria I've seen pruned down and rooted at a local cacti and succulent business. That's my guess. Either way, the care is the same.

Gill, you would think but in this country, gynecological nurses don't even have to know what causes a period or how birth control works so....I guess incompetence at your job is the new American dream. *le sigh*

That would be some funky bug, Rina. It’s definitely cool and I look forward to seeing it swell more in the coming years.

I keep coming back to this one and have been comparing images of the two species......and I’m still of the opinion that it’s a Crassula ovata. I know we may not be seeing the true leaves of it.... if only we could get further pics when it’s grown more...that would be great! Anyway, these are some more findings/thoughts.....

The top surface of Port afra leaves appear to be distinctly concave, especially where they join the stem and there is also sometimes a faint dipped line down their centre, longitudinally. They seem to be more matt than jade leaves. I also think the leaf shape is wrong for it to be a Port a.

Jade leaves are thicker, more rounded, top surfaces are are often convex and don’t generally have any kind of indented line down the centre. Jade leaves often show a lot of light reflection on their glossy surfaces and they’re also often a lot longer than in their width too.

We could do with Al/Tapla taking a look at this one couldn't we?

Gill

Gill,

I’ve just come to the conclusion that it’s a jade that was exposed to radiation at some point. Plutonium jade or something. :)

Grace, I never was able to get those dried up cuttings of your miniature jade to root (it was your grandmother's plant, right?) I was so disappointed!

Radio activated mutant jade, lol!

Gill