Jade Plants (Crassula argentea)

by Renee Lindstrom, GCFP–Living in Natures Love Lifestyles insideawareness.com

Jade, Spider & Kalanchoe Plants

Jade & Wandering Jew Plants

Jade Plant

Also known as: lucky plant, money plant or money tree

Symbolizes: prosperity, success, motivation to start new projects, harmony, health, luck, creativity, friendship
Element: Water
Uses: Remedy, Topical Skin Products
Parts used: Flowers, Leaves & Root
Preparation: Tea, Topical Skin Remedy

The Jade Plant is native to South Africa and Mozambique. This succulent plant with small pink or white flowers has become a symbol for friendship and abundance in Asian philosophies and being adopted in the West. Giving a Jade plant as a gift reflects friendship and if in bloom, a great friendship making it a popular birthdays and Christmas gift. The green leaves signify energy and the joy of friendship, and the flowers represent the fragrance of great friendship.

In the Northern regions the Jade plant blooms at Christmas with small white flowers that are beautiful and fragrant. A flowering Jade plant reflects luck and prosperity.

In their Feng Shui traditions the placement of a Jade plant would be in these following ways:

Business owners – placed near the entrance, or in a southeast location to bring prosperity and success. During the Chinese New Year celebrations, Jade Plants are set on top of stock and investment certificates so they will increase in value during the coming year.
Homes – east locations for family harmony, health, initiation of projects, scholarly pursuits; in southeast locations for wealth luck; in west locations for creativity or children luck; and in northwest locations for the luck of mentors, teachers and helpful people.

Here in the West the Jade plant has become known as a great plant for the interior environment as an air cleaner. It is an easy plant to care for and can be left for long periods without concern. As a succulent it stores water. It is recommended that it dry out between watering and then be given a good soak.

Jade Plant

I became the steward of three large jade plants that had been left in a vacant home for and unknown period of time. A few years I imagine based on the condition of the house. These Jade plants had been left in their small 4 inch pots quite possibly for 15 to 20 years. The wood on the plant suggests that they where not young ones. Once replanted into large pots they took some time to recover and during this transition roots began to grow from the branches. Some of the branches with roots fell and either re-potted themselves at the base of the trunk or where easily transplanted. I have not has this ease in transplanting Jade shoots in the past. These Jades then began to bloom in the late fall which I had also not experienced in past years.

These big Jade are still recovering and are not filled out with leaves, however they have started many healthy and fast growing plants.

These are easy plants to care for and have success with.