Curly Jade Care Guide
Family: Crassulaceae
Genus: Crassula
Botanical Name: Crassula ovata Undulata
Difficulty: Great for beginners
If you’re the kind of person who steers clear of succulents, you can forget about that fear with the Curly Jade! They’re very easy to maintain, are drought tolerant, and like a lot of light. Keep reading to learn more about our friend the Curly Jade!
Light
Curly Jade are easy to please when it comes to sunlight. An ideal home for them is somewhere that receives a ton of indirect sunlight for most of the day and a direct sunlight for a few hours. They can tolerate a little bit of shade, but you’ll notice their purple tips start to fade.
Water
They are a succulent, so your Curly Jade will do very well if you are scared of overwatering because they’re pretty drought tolerant. You should let the top 3 inches of soil dry before watering. If you’re ever unsure if you should water your plant, test the soil with your finger! Because succulents don’t like for their leaves to get wet (it removes their protective, powder-like layer that coats all the leaves), it’s always a good idea to bottom water your Curly Jade. Just place them in a container with water that goes a little less than halfway up the pot, and let them sit for while. They’ll soak up all the water they need!
Climate
Your Curly Jade will thrive in your regular household conditions (60°-75°F), so you won’t need to keep an eye on humidity levels or worry about providing extra humidity unless you absolutely want to. They don’t mind a small boost of humidity every now and then!
Soil
Don’t just throw your Curly Jade into any old potting mix. Keep in mind that they are a succulent, so they need a very well draining soil. You want to choose a nice sandy soil that isn’t going to hold excessive amounts of water because your Curly Jade is equipped to do that on its own!
Pests & Diseases
You have to worry about the dreaded “m” word when it comes to any plant that even resembles a succulent. Mealybugs love those thick leaves and stalks, and they love to hide in all the hardest parts of your plant to get to. Save yourself some stress further down the road by checking for these little pests whenever you water your plant. As with any of your other plants, you should be wary of root rot if you tend to over water your plant.
Tips
Rotate your Curly Jade if they aren’t receiving sunlight from all directions because they are quick to lean towards that light!
Keep them in a terracotta pot to help with drainage.
If your Curly Jade has nice bright purple tips, it’s getting the perfect amount of sun!
Signs your plant is unhappy
Mushy leaves: overwatered
Shriveled leaves: underwatered
Floppy stems: improper drainage
Propagation
Curly Jade are pretty easy to propagate from stem cuttings. Using a clean pair of scissors, take a cutting from a healthy plant that is at least 3 inches long. Place the cutting somewhere to dry and callous before you move it to soil. Once it is ready, place the stem cutting in a pot prepared with damp cactus and succulent soil. Leave it somewhere sunny and warm and wait for it to show new growth before watering again.
Fun Facts
They’re native to South Africa.
They are not pet-friendly.
They can grow up to 4 feet tall!
Hardiness Zones
Yes, Curly Jade is a succulent plant, which means they love a ton of sunlight. It may be tempting to move them outside to really soak up some sun, but they can’t survive outside in all areas. Check out your areas hardiness zone before moving them outside to really save yourself some stress. In zones where temperatures drop during the winter months and there may be a frost, bring your Curly Jade inside until warm weather returns!
The USDA Hardiness Zones for Curly Jade are 9b-11a.
