Dwarf Jade Plant

Dwarf Jade Plant (Crassula ovata 'Compacta') is the succulent to choose when you want a miniature tree rather than a rosette. It builds a thick woody trunk and a rounded head of small glossy leaves, reaching about 900mm tall and 800mm wide over several years. Small white to pink flowers appear on mature plants in the cooler months, and it lives on a fraction of the water a normal shrub needs.

Why you'll love it

• It looks like a tree at 900mm. The thickened trunk and layered branching give it real character in a pot, which is why it is a favourite for informal bonsai.
• Drought is its normal condition. Fleshy leaves store water, so a fortnight of neglect does nothing. Overwatering is the only reliable way to kill it.
• Heat, poor soil and salt are all fine. It handles baking courtyards, thin gravelly soil and coastal exposure.
• It takes shaping well. Pinch a branch and it forks in two, so you can build a canopy over a few seasons. A bright windowsill suits it as well as a rockery.

Where it works best

Pots, balconies and courtyards. This is where it belongs. A wide, shallow terracotta pot suits the root system and the weight of the trunk, and terracotta helps the mix dry between waterings.

Rockeries and dry gardens. Planted among stone in a hot, well drained bed it needs no irrigation once established. Group three at different sizes rather than spacing them evenly.

One caveat before you buy: Crassula ovata is toxic to cats and dogs if chewed, so this is not the succulent for a floor level pot in a home with pets.

Growing Dwarf Jade Plant in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun outdoors, or the brightest window indoors. It suits tropical, subtropical, warm temperate, Mediterranean and arid gardens, and it is frost tender, so cool temperate districts want a pot that can shift under cover for winter.

Soil. A free draining cactus and succulent mix, or potting mix opened up with coarse sand and gravel. The pot must have a drainage hole. Poor soil is fine; wet soil is fatal.

Water and feed. Soak it, tip out the saucer, then let the mix dry right through: every two to three weeks from spring to autumn, monthly in winter. Feed a half strength liquid fertiliser twice over the warm season and no more.

Pruning. Prune in spring to shape, cutting just above a leaf pair. Leggy growth means too little light rather than too little water.

What to expect when it arrives

It is grown in five sizes: 140mm in packs of ten, 200mm in packs of six, 250mm in packs of three, and single 300mm and 400mm pots, with the 250mm on backorder at times. The smaller sizes are young plants with no trunk character yet, while the 300mm and 400mm plants already have a thickened base and branching.

Succulents are among the best travellers we send, and a few dropped leaves are normal. Leave the plant dry for a week after it lands before the first water. Plants are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95, and our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• How to shape and style a jade plant
• Browse the full succulent range
• More plants that thrive in containers
• Balcony plants that cope with heat and wind

Common questions

Is it safe around cats and dogs?

No. Jade plants are toxic to cats and dogs, and chewing the leaves can cause vomiting, drooling and lethargy. Keep it out of reach, and contact a vet if a pet eats any of it.

How often should I water it?

Every two to three weeks in the warm months, monthly in winter, and only once the mix is dry all the way through. Soft, yellowing or dropping leaves almost always mean too much water.

Why is my plant stretching and floppy?

Not enough light. Move it to full sun outdoors or the brightest window indoors, then cut the stretched growth back in spring and it will rebranch tighter.