Jade plant
Crassula ovata, succulent, evergreen
Water a jade plant when the soil has dried out completely, which indoors means every 13–34 days in summer and every 20–54 in winter. It wants full sun, as many hours as it can get, and starts to suffer below 5 °C (41 °F).
Updated 12 October 2026. How we write these pages
Jade plant at a glance
Water, indoors
13–34
days in summer
20–54
days in winter
When the soil has dried out completely.
Month by month
Minimum temperature
1–5 °C
It starts to suffer between 1 and 5 °C (34–41 °F).
Humidity
Fine in dry air.
Cats and dogs
Toxic to dogs and cats.
Chewing the leaves can make them ill: keep it out of their reach.
Growth
Steady. It’s a succulent.
Repotting
When the roots fill the pot.
Pruning
No regular pruning needed.
Where does your plant live?
Pick its place and see what changes.
What changes
- Indoors, near the window. The right spot: in front of the brightest window, with as many hours of sun as it can get.
- Indoors, away from the window. There isn’t enough light here. Move the pot in front of the brightest window.
- Outdoors, in the shade. Shade doesn’t give it enough light. Move the pot where the sun reaches it for longer.
- Outdoors, in the sun. The right spot, with all the sun it needs.
- Indoors, summer. In July it usually needs water every 13–34 days, and only once the soil has dried out completely.
- Indoors, winter, heating on. In January it usually needs water every 20–54 days. Near a radiator the soil dries faster, but wait until it has dried out completely.
- Indoors, winter, cool room. In January it usually needs water every 20–54 days, and less often in a cool room, where the soil stays damp for a long time.
- Outdoors, summer. Outside the soil dries faster than indoors, where in July it needs water every 13–34 days, but still wait until it has dried out completely.
- Outdoors, winter. It starts to suffer below 5 °C (41 °F). On the coldest nights, move the pot under shelter or indoors.
- Outdoors, winter. In the cold the soil stays damp for a long time, so it needs water less often than indoors, where in January it needs water every 20–54 days.
How often to water a jade plant
Indoors, month by month. Tap a column.
In October
Every 16–44 days
Usually every 27 days. Feel the soil first, and water only when it has dried out completely.
Every month in a table
| Month | Usually | Usually between |
|---|---|---|
| January | every 34 days | 20–54 days |
| February | every 34 days | 20–54 days |
| March | every 30 days | 18–49 days |
| April | every 26 days | 16–42 days |
| May | every 24 days | 14–38 days |
| June | every 21 days | 13–34 days |
| July | every 21 days | 13–34 days |
| August | every 21 days | 13–34 days |
| September | every 24 days | 14–38 days |
| October | every 27 days | 16–44 days |
| November | every 31 days | 19–50 days |
| December | every 34 days | 20–54 days |
Typical intervals indoors in the northern hemisphere: light, the pot and the season stretch or shorten them. How to tell when to water, with a finger and the weight of the pot.
Soil, propagation and problems
Soil
A cactus and succulent mix, with sand or pumice: water should drain straight through.
Propagation
From a cutting: cut a piece of stem with at least one node and stand it in water or damp soil until it roots.
From a leaf: let a leaf dry for a day, then lay it on barely damp soil until it roots.
Common problems
The most frequent: Mealybugs · Aphids · Scale insects · Spider mites
When you feel the soil, look under the leaves too: pests show up there first.
Jade plant: good to know
Jade plants can be pruned into miniature trees.
Jade plant: questions and answers
How often should you water a jade plant in winter?
Indoors in January, usually every 34 days (between 20 and 54), compared with every 21 in July. The longest gaps run from December to February.
How can you tell when a jade plant needs water?
Only when the soil has dried out completely, right to the bottom of the pot.
How much light does a jade plant need?
As much sun as it can get. Full sun means at least 6 hours of direct sun a day, so indoors the right spot is in front of your brightest window.
Is a jade plant toxic to cats and dogs?
Toxic to dogs and cats. Chewing the leaves can make them ill: keep it out of their reach.
How much cold can a jade plant take?
It starts to suffer from the cold somewhere between 1 and 5 °C (34–41 °F). Outdoors, on nights below 5 °C, move the pot under shelter or indoors.
When should you repot a jade plant?
When the roots fill the pot. If needed, the best time is when it starts growing again. There are usually 2 to 3 years between repottings.
Does a jade plant need pruning?
No, it doesn’t need regular pruning.
How can you tell if a jade plant is getting too much water or too little?
Too much water often shows as fleshy parts going soft and mushy. Too little shows as fleshy parts wrinkled or shrivelled.
How much humidity does a jade plant need?
Copes with dry indoor air.
What soil does a jade plant need?
A cactus and succulent mix, with sand or pumice: water should drain straight through.
Why is my jade plant dropping leaves?
Usually it’s the water, too much or too little. Feel the soil right down. If it’s damp, the roots may be rotting, so let it dry out and empty the saucer. If it has been dry for many weeks, water it well, until it runs out of the hole.
Why are my jade plant leaves soft or wrinkled?
Soft, watery leaves mean too much water, so let all the soil dry out before you water again. Thin, wrinkled leaves mean it has had too little, so soak all the soil.
How do you propagate a jade plant?
Cut a short stem, or pull off a whole leaf, and leave it in the air until the cut end has dried and sealed, which takes from a day to a week. Then set it on cactus potting mix and keep it barely damp until it roots.
How do you get a jade plant to flower?
It has small white or pink star-shaped flowers in winter, but only once it’s mature, and indoors that’s rare. Your best chance is the strongest light you can give it all year and a cool, dry winter, with nights around 10 °C (50 °F) and little water.
How do you get rid of mealybugs on a jade plant?
They’re the white, cotton-like tufts between the leaves and on the stems. Wipe them off one by one with a cotton bud dipped in rubbing alcohol. Don’t use insecticidal soap, because it can damage jade plant leaves.
Read next
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It looks at the light where your plant stands, its pot and the season, and tells you when to check it.
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