Bluebird Jade

Bluebird Jade (Crassula ovata 'Bluebird') is a compact jade plant with fleshy blue grey leaves that builds slowly to about 1m tall and 80cm wide. It is the succulent to buy when you want structure without commitment: full sun or a bright room, weeks between waterings, and a plant that quietly improves with age.

Why you'll love it

• Blue grey colour year round. The foliage reads silver blue against greens and terracotta, often picking up red edges in full sun and cool weather.
• It forgives forgetfulness. Thick leaves store water, so a missed fortnight of watering is nothing.
• Coastal and heat proof. Salt spray, sea wind and hot summers leave it unbothered.
• Indoors or out. Equally at home in a courtyard pot, a rockery pocket or a bright room.
• Winter flowers. Mature plants carry clusters of small starry white and pink blooms in the cooler months.

Where it works best

Pots and containers. Slow growth and modest roots suit pots for years. A 200mm to 300mm pot with a drainage hole is a fine long term home, moving up a size as it fills.

Rockeries and coastal gardens. Tuck it among stones or into a dry bank in a frost free garden and it holds its shape with almost no attention.

Bright rooms and balconies. Near a sunny window or on a north facing balcony it makes a sculptural plant that tolerates dry air.

Growing Bluebird Jade in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun to bright light brings out the best colour. Outdoors it suits subtropical, warm temperate, Mediterranean and arid climates. It is frost tender, so in frosty districts grow it in a pot and winter it under eaves or indoors.

Soil. Drainage is everything. Use a cactus and succulent mix in pots, or open garden soil up with coarse sand. Wet roots are the one reliable way to kill it.

Water and feed. Soak, then let the mix dry out completely: every two to three weeks in the warm months, monthly or less in winter. A half strength feed once or twice over spring and summer is ample.

Pruning. Pinch or cut stems any time to shape it. Trimmings left to dry for a few days strike easily as cuttings, so pruning becomes propagation.

What to expect when it arrives

Bluebird Jade comes in 140mm packs of 10, 200mm packs of 6 and single 300mm pots. The packs are the economical way to plant a rockery drift or line a sunny ledge; the 300mm plants arrive with an established branching structure. Succulents travel exceptionally well, arriving plump and unfazed, and yours will appreciate a week to adjust in bright shade before its first water. Plants are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Ripple jade, a sculptural cousin worth knowing
• Browse all succulents and cacti
• More plants that thrive in pots
• Drought tolerant plants for dry gardens

Common questions

Is it safe around cats and dogs?

No. Jade plants are toxic to cats and dogs if chewed, so keep it on a shelf, bench or hanging position out of a pet's reach, indoors and out.

How often should I water it?

Only when the mix has dried right through: roughly every two to three weeks in summer and monthly in winter. Wrinkled leaves mean thirsty; soft yellowing leaves mean too wet.

Can it live indoors permanently?

Yes, given genuinely bright light, ideally with some direct sun through a window. In a dim corner it stretches and loses the tight blue grey character.

Will frost kill it?

A hard frost can. It is frost tender, so in frost prone areas keep it potted and move it under cover for winter, then bring it back out in spring.