Last updated, 3/30/2025

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An example Jade - Crassula ovata. 2 years old from cutting. These are tropical and must be kept indoors over winter. Low light and drought tolerant!

Species Info:

Crassula ovata is a low-light-tolerant, drought-tolerant tropical succulent that can be styled as a bonsai due to the woody appearance of its stem. The advantages of this species include its hardiness (highly beginner-friendly), ease of propagation through cuttings, and rapid growth rate in ideal conditions such as when placed outside over summer. The disadvantages of this species as bonsai include a tendency for plants to become top-heavy if they are not properly pruned and the relatively large leaf size which may be undesirable for styling them as smaller-sized bonsai.

I water my jades 1-2x/ week in the winters, depending on the light intensity of their spot in the home. You can assess if the tree needs water by holding the leaf in your hand and feeling its turgidity. If the leaf is firm, it does not need water. If the leaf is soft, it is because the plant needs more water to properly fill its volume. The thick, waxy cuticle on the leaves as well as the regenerative and propagative properties of this species are evolutionary traits that the species obtained in their native desert environment of South Africa-Mozambique.

Sale Info

These jade beginner-friendly bonsai starters I sell quickly for a low price so the stock is always rotating. This makes them not great to put online since that is a time consuming process. If interested to buy one, please feel free to contact me for pictures of the latest options or come in person/see my In-Person Bonsai Partner locations where you can find them.

Sold Example Gallery + Pruning Tips

The plants in this gallery are a few examples which have been in training from cuttings for 1-3 years. I have also made some in very miniature pots from young leaf cuttings which have creates the smallest leaf sizes or others which ramified nicely via typical pruning methods over time but do not have photos for all of them. This species responds well to directional pruning for ramification and to change the direction of the trunk/branch lines. You can also remove lower leaves and leaves that grow at the intersection of branches to highlight the trunk and branch structure better to make these trees more tree-like in appearance rather than shrub like if they are allowed to grow and elongate too long without pruning.