Horticulture Magazine

Crassula ‘Money Plant’

up close shot of crassula ovata
By KERSASP SHEKHDAR
Kersasp Shekhdar, Gardener

Kersie is a professional and vocational writer who learnt the basics of gardening as a toddler, courtesy of his grandfather. He is an active gardener with a preference for flowering plants.

/ Updated March 28th, 2023
Reviewed By COLIN SKELLY

Colin is a Horticulturist and Horticultural Consultant with experience in a range of practical and managerial roles across heritage, commercial and public horticulture. He holds the Royal Horticultural Society’s Master of Horticulture award and has a particular interest in horticultural ecology and naturalistic planting for habitat and climate resilience.

/ Meets Our Editorial Guidelines
Contributions From RALPH BEHRMANN
Ralph Behrmann, Owner of Clouds Hill Succulents

As the Owner of Clouds Hill Succulents, a small plant nursery based in the Surrey Hills, Ralph cares for a range of succulents that are available to purchase from his online store.

Crassula ovata (AKA ‘Money Plant’) is a succulent evergreen originating from Eastern South Africa.1Crassula ovata (Mill.) Druce. (n.d.). Kew Royal Botanic Gardens. Retrieved March 28, 2023, from https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:273350-1

It grows in a wide latitude of conditions, is easy to care for, and is long-lived.

Bearing shiny, chunky leaves and inflorescences of pretty white or pinkish flowers, this attractive ornamental is low-maintenance and high-decor – no wonder it is such a popular houseplant the world over.

In this guide we interview and feature Ralph Behrmann, an experienced grower and supplier at Clouds Hill Succulents.

Overview

Botanical NameCrassula ovata
Common Name(s)Jade Plant, Money Plant, Friendship Tree
Plant TypeSucculent
Native AreaEastern South Africa
Hardiness RatingH2
FoliageEvergreen succulent leaves
FlowersSmall, white
When To Plant / RepotSpring – Autumn
Sunlight

Preferred
Full Sun

Exposure
Indoors

Size

Height
1 – 1.5M

Spread
1 – 1.5M

Bloom Time
July – August

Soil

Preferred
Free Draining Medium

Moisture
Well Drained

pH
Any

Money Plant, Jade Plant, Penny Plant, Lucky Plant, Friendship Tree, Dollar Plant, Silver Dollar Plant, Kerky Bush – all these names, most of them suggesting prosperity and fortune, identify one and the same plant, Crassula ovata.

An evergreen shrub that is as sturdy in constitution as it is in appearance, this plant can tolerate varying sun-shade balance, dry weather, and even drought conditions, and is super-easy to propagate.

It is equally easy to grow and care for both outdoors and indoors, and its versatility extends even to being the plant of choice for learning bonsai: its toughness allows it to withstand rough pruning and its natural attributes make for a lovely miniaturised tree.

However, the majority of Jade Plants grown by gardeners are neither outdoor plants nor bonsai but are potted houseplants.

Crassula ovata in a white pot

Potted specimens typically attain heights of between 45-75cm but in their native habitat, C. ovata can grow as tall as 2m.

When plants get a lot of sunlight the leaves develop an eye-catching red edging, specifically a deep ruby-red shade.

Conversely, if nights are long and the overall temperature is on the cool side but the plant gets sufficient sunlight, older specimens will bloom in winter – though this is unusual in indoor potted plants.

When it does, the inflorescences are lush – each one is about 5cm both in length and diameter and bears a profusion of short-lived but charming flowers.

Red-edged emerald green thickish leaves and inflorescences of pinkish white flowers of the Money Plant

These are star-shaped with lanceolate petals and are white, pink, white with pink tinges, or cream.

Habitat & Growing Conditions

C. ovata itself is hardy to RHS H1C (USDA Zone 11) but some cultivars are hardy to lower zones; for example, Gollum and E.T.’s Fingers are hardy to RHS Zone H3 (USDA Zone 9). 

They do best in warm and dry climates – think Arizona – and in their native South Africa they are often found growing among dense vegetation, primarily succulents, in valleys and in lonely clusters on stony hillsides.2Crassula ovata (jade plant). (2022, January 7). CABI Compendium. https://doi.org/10.1079/cabicompendium.113574

In damp soil or humid climes they are susceptible to stem rot and fungal diseases, as Ralph explains:

“From the feedback I get from my customers, poor water management is a huge problem. Many people want to give water to a plant every day, whereas this shouldn’t happen.”

money plant growing in native dry and sunny climes

“More humid environment such as bathrooms works well only for epiphytic succulents, such as rhipsalis or peperomias.

“Crassulas need a place in the house where the air humidity is not too high and definitely do not require misting” – helping to expel a common myth of crassula plant care.

In areas such as the UK which are typically below their designated hardiness zone, Money Plant and its cultivars cannot survive cold weather outdoors and effectively become annuals.

However, plants will survive the winter if they are brought indoors and the temperature drops no lower than 10°C.

Planting

Chinese Money Plant can be planted around the year but it is not advisable to do so in the winter because this is the plant’s dormant season.

Growing the plant in winter, especially in unfavourable zones or climates like the UK, may prove troublesome.

hands holding soil next to a potted jade plant

It is smart to plant it between mid-spring and mid-summer, which is plumb in the middle of this succulent’s active growing season, to facilitate strong rooting and fast growth.

Plant Care

Temperature & Sunlight

“Most succulents are not only adapted to sunlight, they also need a sufficient amount of it in order to thrive”, says Ralph, when discussing the importance of light and succulents.

This sporting plant will make do with virtually any mix of sun and shade provided that the afternoon sun is not too hot or direct.

The ideal sun-shade mix is about four hours of morning sun and the rest in shade.

The ideal temperature ranges for C. ovata are 20-25°C during the day and 12-15°C during the night.

“In the summer months, placing your Crassula ovata outside will expose it to higher light levels, which will cause the plant’s leaves to take on vibrant red colouration,” advises Expert Horticulturist Colin Skelly.

“Just be careful to make sure the plant does not get too ‘baked’ or, almost as likely, too wet in an English summer!

“Make sure to bring it back inside before temperatures fall in autumn.”

Soil Requirements

This plant requires a rich soil mix that drains well – make that very well.

A sandy loam with compost, and including gravel and perlite in the topsoil, is ‘right on the money’.

an orange handled trowel sat in a white container of compost

The pH may fall anywhere from moderately acidic to slightly alkaline, with 6.0 being perfect.

Because of the way Money Plants grow and use nutrients in the soil it is almost a necessity to repot containerised plants in fresh soil about every three years.

Watering

In the spring and summer growing season they should be watered freely but let the soil dry out completely before watering again – even consistently moist soil is a no-no.

Winter is Jade Plants’ dormant season and during these three or four months, the plant should be watered infrequently and with little water so that its soil remains drier for longer spells than in summer.

hand shown watering a pot-grown crassula on a potting table

Bottom watering your plants during this period can help – so that soil is not left wet and waterlogged – but your plant is able to suck up water when needed through its roots.

These lengthier dry periods in the winter combined with some bright sun and mostly deep shade in the day and cool nights are the triggers that bring mature plants, especially outdoor ones, to flower.

Even mature plants do not flower annually but about once every three years.

Feeding

Though fertilising is not necessary, to feed plants organically compost can be mixed into the soil, and in spring and summer they can be fed with a diluted 10-10-10 liquid fertiliser every two months; alternatively, in early-spring add the appropriate amount of a balanced controlled-release fertiliser to the soil.

Tricolour cultivar of Crassula ovata on a grey background
Tricolour cultivar

Cleaning Money Plant Leaves

You can clean Money Plant leaves with water using two methods but in either case, do make sure that the water is at room temperature; it should not be either hot or cold.

The less time-consuming method is to use a spray bottle or a pinched hose to emit a gentle jet or spray of water on the money plant’s leaves, taking care to wash the undersides of the leaves as well.

hands using a wipe to remove dust from the leaves of a jade plant

Another method is to hand clean the plant:

  1. Put a small amount of mild, organic liquid soap in a basin of water, and with a soft cotton cloth, gently rub the soapy water on the leaves, including their undersides.
  2. Then use plain water and a different cloth for a wipe-off to get rid of the soapy residue.

Cleaning leaves not only keeps the plant looking fresh and pretty, it also prevents infestation and disease.

Pruning

Pruning C. ovata is not necessary; do so if you have a specific reason.

You can prune faded, dried-out flowers and browned or dead branches and leaves for aesthetic reasons.

If your Jade Plant is in a small pot and you wish to limit its size or if you wish to sculpt an outdoor or indoor specimen, you can prune it.

hands using scissors to prune a Money Plant

Annually pruning branches, especially emerging ones, will result in the plant becoming less bushy and developing a stout main stem or ‘trunk’.

  1. To prune, use a sharp pair of secateurs that have been disinfected.
  2. Prune a branch either by cutting it at a node or flush along its parent branch.
  3. Be mindful that when a branch is pruned at a node, more often than not two new branches will sprout from the node immediately underneath.
  4. At most, prune 20% of the plant’s branches and no more.

It is advisable to prune in spring or summer to promote quick recovery.

Propagation

“Propagating succulents from cuttings is a secure form to replicate an existing plant” explains Ralph from Clouds Hill Succulents.

“The plant you grow from a cutting will always look like the mother plant, whilst growing plants from seeds can be a bit of a shot in the dark”.

However, C. ovata roots so strongly that when leaves or stems of outdoor specimens in favourable climates break and fall on the ground, they often root and become new plants in two to three weeks.

As such, one can conclude that it is very easy to propagate this plant:

  1. Simply twist and pull a leaf so that it, along with its stalk, detaches cleanly from the stem.
  2. Let it sit in a dry and warm room for two or three days.
  3. Then place the leaf in loose favourable soil, gently pressing the stalk but a few millimetres under the surface.
  4. After a day put only some drops of water. Leaves should root in about four weeks.

You can also cut off a small length of the stem using sharp and disinfected secateurs.

Allow it a period of two to three days in a dry and warm room so that the plant can heal and to reduce the chances of rot.

Crassula cuttings ready for propagation

Then gently insert the cut end of the cutting into a favourable soil mix – stem cuttings should root in about three weeks.

Though cuttings can be taken and rooted year-round, it is best and easiest to do so in the summer.

Common Problems

Though C. ovata in the main are free of diseases and infestations, the one pest that poses a threat is the mealybug.

Compounding the problem, should such an infestation occur it cannot be treated with any of the usual insecticidal soaps or oils, even organic ones.

The reason is that Jade Plants (like almost all other succulents) are hypersensitive to (organic or other) insecticides and their foliage can suffer serious adverse effects.

One way to eliminate mealybugs is by pruning.

If you spot an infestation that is localised in a small portion of the plant, you can prune that part using the technique described above.

magnified view of white mealybugs on the stem of a plant

Alternatively, clean off the infestation.

Soak cotton buds or a small cloth in rubbing alcohol and gently rub the infested surfaces so as to kill and wipe off the mealybugs.

You will need to repeat this cleaning and disinfestation every day for several days, even up to two weeks, until all the mealybugs are gone.

Continue for a few days even after no mealybugs are visible so as to do away with any larvae and newly-hatched insects.

If your plant is outdoors you could fight fire with fire by simply letting loose beneficial insects that prey upon mealybugs.

Release ladybugs, lacewings, and mealybug destroyers.

FAQs

How Often Should You Water A Money Plant?

In the active growing season of spring and summer, Money Plants may be watered liberally but not frequently because they do not like moist soil.

When the soil has completely dried out, you know the plant will appreciate another watering.

In the winter during the plant’s dormant period it should be watered even less, and also less frequently.

Give the plant only a moderate quantity of water and allow the soil to remain dry for a few days before watering again.

How Should You Care For A Money Plant With Yellow Leaves?

The most common cause of yellowed leaves is overwatering, which can lead to more serious problems including death.

Immediately and significantly reduce watering, both in amount and frequency, and allow the soil to dry out before re-commencing watering.

If you have not been overwatering then that would indicate that the soil is not draining well.

In this case, you would need to transplant the Money Plant into a favourable soil mix that is well-drained.

A close-up of the Money Plant’s pretty pink-tinged white flowers

Overexposure to harsh direct sun can also turn a Money Plant’s leaves yellow because such exposure causes the plant to produce different pigments for protection from sunlight and UV rays.

In such cases put up a barrier to shield it from the sun except for two hours in the morning until it recovers, or, if the plant is containerised, simply move it to a location where it gets no more than two hours of morning sun.

If yellowed leaves are limp, soft, soggy, or falling off, then the cause is overwatering.

If yellowed leaves exhibit no other symptoms or ill-effects, then the cause is too much sun.

Can Crassula Be Grown Outside?

Very much so – they grow in the open in their native habitat. However, given our unfavourable climate, they are not typically grown outdoors in the UK.

two jade plants in different containers sat on a wooden bench with a large garden in the background

Crassula should not be kept outdoors in a zone lower than RHS H1C (USDA Zone 11), though some cultivars are hardy to lower zones.

These plants should never be exposed to temperatures lower than 10°C.

Also, they should not be exposed to direct afternoon sun in hot and humid climates.

References

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