20 Different Types of Jade Plants

Any type of jade plant that you want to grow will bring good luck to your succulent garden, and may even allow people who can’t traditionally grow plants to create a thriving greenspace. Most types of jade plants have a very long lifespan and are easy-going. They can easily add a sculptural effect to your garden, and most are very low-maintenance. Some types of jade plants are extremely common and easy to find at most nurseries, but you may have to hunt for other varieties. As a bonus, it’s easy to mix and match different types of jade plants to create a thriving, eye-catching succulent garden that will provide an interesting landscaping element indoors and out.

Different types of jade plants are also easy to propagate, and this means that you can effortlessly share them with your friends and family once they start growing. You’ll be able to surround yourself with a plant that has bright leaves with woody, thicker stems, no matter if you live in a tiny apartment or in a sprawling house. I’ve picked out several different types of jade plants for you to look at, and you can mix and match them to create a colorful and fun space that you’ll have a blast watching grow.

1. Crassula Marnieriana

Better known as the Worm Plant, this type of jade grows best in zones 9 to 11. This is a cold-hardy succulent that will survive a light frost without damage. It can get up to 15-centimeters tall, and it has vertical, chubby leaves that look a little like sprawling earthworms. This plant likes dry conditions with partial shade to full sun, and it’ll produce smaller pink flowers in winter, spring, and into early summer. You can easily grow it in a traditional container, or it looks very eye-catching draped over the edge of a hanging basket. Don’t overwater this plant as it’ll rot and the leaves will start to turn slimy.

Nuevos fichajes by Hugo Riquelme Ortega / CC BY-SA 2.0

2. Crassula Arborescens

This is also known as the Silver Jade, and it’s a very forgiving type of jade plant that is perfect for beginners because it’s low-maintenance. You want to put it in a place that gets light shade to full sun, and it grows best in zones 9 to 12. This plant needs no trimming to stay healthy, and it has grey-green leaves with a stubby trunk. It has red edges that get darker with full sun exposure, and it can produce dark pink or white flowers in the spring and summer months. It does well in poor soil conditions, and it can survive drought. However, the soil has to drain quickly to prevent rot. It looks great in rock gardens, and the tiny hairs on the leaves lend an eye-catching sliver appearance.

Crassula arborescens by Mike Keeling / CC BY-ND 2.0

3. Crassula Sarmentosa ‘Comet’

This type of jade plant is one of the most striking available, and it has a darker green center on the leaves surrounded by lime green coloring. It does best in partial shade to full sun with routine watering, and you can grow it outside in zones 9 to 12. This plant has red-tinted stems that can trail down, and it’ll get red or pink edges when you grow it in full sun. It forms pink buds that give way to white flowers in the fall months, and it can get up to a foot tall. You will want to prune this plant regularly as it tends to get very leggy when you leave it alone, and it works very well as a groundcover with minimal maintenance.

201009 056 San Diego Botanic Garden by cultivar413 / CC BY 2.0

4. Crassula Ovata

Nicknamed the Money Plant, this type of jade plant is widely believed to bring good luck to anyone who grows it. It grows rounded and elongated leaves that are around two-inches long, and the plant itself can get between three and six feet tall. It likes to be in an area that has partial shade, and it does best in zones 11 to 12. It won’t tolerate poorly-draining soil at all, and the leaves can tint red under the full sun. It can produce pink or white flowers in late winter to early spring, and it does well indoors and outdoors. This plant can tolerate drought or low humidity levels, and you shouldn’t have to prune it to keep it looking nice.

Crassula Ovata by Christian Ramiro González Verón / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

5. Crassula Ovata ‘Gollum’

Gollum Jade is a type of jade plant you may also hear referred to as Ogre’s Ears. It has tubular, green leaves with red tips that look like suction cups. During the late fall to early spring months, this plant will bloom with starry pink or white flowers. It prefers full sun, but it will grow in partial shade. This plant can get up to three feet tall at full maturity, and it’s a very slow-growing variety that can take up to three years to mature and get ready to reproduce. It grows best in zones 10 and 11. Also, it’s much better to underwater than overwater this plant because it can tolerate drought but it can’t tolerate consistently wet soil without rotting.

Crassula Ovata ‘Gollum’ by FarOutFlora / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

6. Crassula Ovata ‘Undulata’

This type of jade plant grows best in zones 9 to 11. It is slightly different from other jade plants because it has a slightly curly look rather than the usual elongated and thick leaves. You’ll get wavy, waxy leaves that grow very slowly but come in dense. It works as a houseplant or a compact groundcover, and this is a natural desert plant that thrives in full sun. It can tolerate shade, but it won’t look as vibrant. During the summer, it produces pinkish-white flowers, and it’ll grow up to 1.5-feet high. It only needs minimal water in a well-drained soil, and you should fertilize it every two weeks during the active growing season. It responds well to pruning.

Crassula Ovata Undulata by stephen boisvert / CC BY 2.0

7. Crassula Perforata

Better known as String of Buttons, this type of jade plant is a sprawling shrub that has a very unique look. It has stacked leaves on top of one another, and they have a triangular, chubby appearance. You’ll see a slightly rosy pink tinge to them, and they can produce pale yellow flowers. This plant is both drought tolerant and deer resistant, and it has a slightly faster growth pattern. It can get between one and two-feet tall at full maturity, and it likes partial shade to full sun. It grows best in zones 9 to 11, and you may want to cut the stalks back after they bloom because they dry out. There are several cultivars to choose from with this plant.

Crassula Perforata by Megan Hansen / CC BY-SA 2.0

8. Crassula Picturata

Tiger Jade is a type of jade plant that is perfect for any meticulous gardener. This is a shorter plant that produces stunning leaves that form a pagoda structure that is very contained and compressed. The leaves are green and pointed, and they have a purple underside and spots. It will leave a powder residue if you touch it, and you don’t want to get water on the leaves. It needs full sun to partial shade in zones 9 to 11, and it only gets a few inches tall. However, it’ll spread up to eight inches, and it turns red when it’s stressed. Fertilize it once in spring with a slow-release fertilizer, and it’ll produce white or pink flowers.

crassula picturata v. exilis by Ezquiel Coelho / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

9. Crassula Falcata

This type of jade plant is extremely easy to cultivate, and it has a very bright and full foliage that twists and angles in pairs to give it a propeller look. This lends to the name of the Airplant plant. It grows best in zones 9 to 11 in partial shade to full sun. It’ll get between two and three-feet tall, and it produces fiery red flowers during the summer and fall months. It is a very slow-growing species that can take years to reach the full mature size, and it has grey-green foliage. You should avoid excess heat with this plant or it won’t flower, and it can tolerate short periods of neglect without a problem.

Crassula falcata blooms by FarOutFlora / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

10. Portulacaria Afra

Growing best in full sun to partial shade, this type of jade plant can get an impressive 12-feet tall under the correct conditions. It produces purple, white, or pink flowers, and they bloom in late spring or early summer. It grows best in zones 9 to 11, and it’s better known as the Dwarf Jade. You do want to make a point to trim it with your garden scissors to prevent it from getting leggy and spreading out of control. You get flossy, smaller leaves, and it can’t withstand hard frosts without dying off. It has woody red stems to add interest, and it’ll grow well both indoors and outdoors.

Portulacaria Afra by Gail Frederick / CC BY 2.0

11. Crassula Pubescens

The Bear Paw type of jade plant is a low-growing shrub that works well as ground cover, and it does very well in traditional containers. The plant’s foliage will start out green, but it’ll take on a deep burgundy hue if you put it in a location that gets full sun. It needs moderate water, and you will have to periodically repot it to prevent crowding. It can get up to six inches tall, and it will produce smaller yellow flowers. The leaves on this plant are slender and fuzzy, and it’ll spread out slowly. Make sure that it has protection from the afternoon sun because it can get too hot, and put it in a well-draining soil.

Crassula pubescens rattray by Reggie1 / CC BY-NC 2.0

12. Crassula Capitella

This type of jade plant is a stunning specimen in red. It grows a lime green color that will slowly change to a bright red during the cooler months. The flowers make it perfect for your butterfly garden, and it also attracts birds and bees. It doesn’t do well indoors, and it’ll spread up to three feet wide while being a foot tall. You should mist this plant regularly but avoid soaking it, and it tolerates drought. It is best planted outside in full sun to partial shade, and it can produce white or red flowers. You should add a slow-release fertilizer once a year in the spring, and plant it in zones 9 to 12 for the best results.

Crassula by Quinn Dombrowski / CC BY-SA 2.0

13. Crassula Ovata ‘Hummel’s Sunset’

This is a showier type of jade plant that has been the recipient of the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit. It has evergreen leaves, and they’ve round, fleshy, and thick. They have green coloring with a smattering of red and golden-yellow on the edges. During the colder months, the red becomes more pronounced. It blooms small clusters of starry white flowers, and it has a mild frost tolerance. It does best in zones 9 to 12, and it can grow between one and three feet tall. Plant it in a place that gets partial shade to full sun in a rich but well-draining soil, and water it occasionally to keep it healthy. Don’t saturate the soil.

Crassula Ovata ‘Hummel’s Sunset’ by Ezequiel Coelho / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

14. Crassula Ovata ‘Minima’

Better known as Baby Jade, this type of jade plant comes in a much smaller size than others on the list, and it will only grow to be around a foot tall and wide. It starts out green, but it’ll develop red edges as it matures. It has fleshy, thick leaves and woody branches, and it is a pretty shrub that works well in rock gardens or containers. It can tolerate dry conditions, and it’s a very hardy plant when you have it in zones 10 and 11. It’ll produce showy pink-coral colored flowers, and it likes a very well-draining soil with minimal watering. It can die quickly if you overwater it. Plant it in full sun to partial sun, and you can propagate it by placing a dry leaf on soil. Roots will form quickly.

Baby jade plant by vigilant20 (דָרוּך) / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

15. Crassula Ovata ‘Ripple Jade’

This is an easily recognizable type of jade plant due to the wavy and thin leaves. It has circular and twisted leaves that are green with a hint of blue. You’ll get dark brown or purple edges, and it has thick evergreen foliage. It’s cold hardy to zone 10, and it is a very low-maintenance pick. It’s very drought-tolerant, and the leaves will wrinkle to tell you it’s time to water it. It can get up to four feet tall, and you should plant it in a place that gets partial shade to full sun. It rarely flowers, but when it does the flowers are small and white. Give it a slow-release fertilizer once a year in the early spring months to encourage steady growth.

200829 097 Encinitas – Anderson’s La Costa Nursery by cultivar413 / CC BY 2.0

16. Crassula Ovata ‘Hobbit’

If you’re looking for a type of jade plant to add to your desert landscape, look no further than the Hobbit jade. This jade plant has pipe-like leaves that have a slight curl. They have light red tips with bright green foliage that looks like sea corals. You can grow it indoors, but it does best outside under full sun with sandy soil and dry conditions. It can produce starry pink or white flowers, and it can get up to three feet high. You want to fertilize it sparingly with diluted liquid fertilizer during the summer, and cut back in the winter as the plant goes dormant. It is best planted in zone 10 or 11 with light water.

Crassula Ovata ‘Hobbit’ by Earnest McGray, Jr. / CC BY-SA 2.0

17. Crassula Rupestris

Also known as Baby’s Necklace, this type of jade plant is a pretty hybrid. You’ll get rounded greyg-reen leaves that look like a beaded necklace. They grow upwards and can sprawl out, and this makes them a good choice for containers because they can drape over the sides. They grow best in full sun to partial shade, and you will have to water them routinely while avoiding saturating the soil. Make sure it drains well and that it’s rich, and you won’t have to prune them. They can’t tolerate frost or cold very well, so move them indoors if you have them outside before the weather turns cooler. They work well as a groundcover or a small and decorative shrub by your walkways.

Crassula Rupestris by Geir K. Edland / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

18. Crassula Ovata ‘Harbour Lights’

The Harbour Lights type of jade plant is best planted in containers, and it makes an excellent addition to your porch or patio decor ideas due to the pretty red coloring it displays. It has smaller leaves, and they turn a deep red color during the colder winter months. It will produce pinkish-white flowers that appear in late winter or early spring, and it does best in full sun to partial shade. You will want to be careful about not overwatering this plant and make sure that you put it in a rich but well-draining soil to keep it healthy. You can fertilize it in the late fall months to encourage it to bloom.

Jade plant. By Ajith Kumar / CC BY-NC 2.0

19. Crassula Ovata Minima

This small jade plant barely grows over two-feet tall at full maturity, and the growth is controlled by the container size and routine trimming. It will develop small flowers during the winter and fall months in pink and white that sit above the foliage. When you grow it in a smaller container, this plant typically grows in a compact form with tips that cluster to give it a much fuller appearance. This type of jade plant likes full sun to partial shade in a rich but well-draining soil. Be careful to not overwater it because it can rot, and add a slow-release fertilizer once or twice during the year to encourage active growth.

Crassula Ovata ‘Dwarf’ by misstiffanylin / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

20. Pink Jade

This type of jade plant makes an excellent addition to any container garden. It produces slightly larger clusters of pink bushy flowers that start to grow and cover the plant during the late fall and early winter months. Under dry conditions, this plant will develop a red blush. It has green leaves with pink-cream and light yellow edges that offset the pink blooms. It’s a slow-growing cultivar that can grow up to three feet in five years. You’ll want to plant it in an area that gets plenty of sunlight, and the soil should be rich but drain well between watering sessions. You don’t have to prune it or trim it back to keep it looking healthy.

Flowering jade by Quinn Dombrowski / CC BY-SA 2.0

How to Care for Different Types of Jade Plants

One nice feature with the different types of jade plants is that they all have similar care guidelines. This makes it easy to mix and match them in the same planter and have success growing them. You do want to double-check your plants before you try and grow them to make sure they’re all compatible. However, the good news is, most of them are low-maintenance and hard to kill.

• Temperature Range – These types of jade plants aren’t very picky about a lot of things, but they do like the temperature range to hold steady between 65 and 75-degrees F to keep them comfortable. Most of them don’t do well with damp and cold weather conditions, and they like dry and arid environments without a lot of humidity. This is why they do so well indoors.
• Water – Overwatering is one of the quickest ways to kill any type of jade plant. This plant actually stores water in the leaves, and this means you can cut back on watering. Many of them are very drought-resistant. Water them when the soil is dry to the touch and make sure it drains well.
• Lighting – These plants love sunlight, but they can tolerate partial shade. Place them by a window where they get bright but indirect lighting, and make sure they’re protected from the hotter afternoon sunshine to avoid burning them.
• Potting Soil – The different types of jade plants aren’t picky about the soil conditions. They can do well in poor soil as long as it drains quickly after you water them. You can get away with all-purpose potting soil as long as it doesn’t retain a lot of moisture.
• Humidity – For the most part, the humidity levels should be on the low end. These plants are most comfortable when the humidity ranges between 30 and 50%. Any higher and the plants will start to stress out and die.
• Fertilizer – You don’t need a lot of fertilizer with these plants. You should dilute it before you add it to your plants, and you don’t want to fertilize them when the soil is dry because it can damage the plant’s roots. At the most, you’ll fertilize them once or twice a year during the active growing season to encourage flowering.

Bottom Line

No matter what types of jade plants you want to incorporate into your home or garden, you’ll find that they grow easily and require very little in the way of maintenance or care. Start with one or two types and add more as you master them and keep them healthy. Soon, you’ll have a lush, green space in your home or yard that looks fantastic all season long.