How Big Do Jade Plants Get? How To Make A Jade Plant Grow Faster!
How big do jade plants get? That’s the question we have all been asking ourselves! Jade plant (crassula ovata), also known as money plant or lucky plant, can grow up to 12 feet tall if given the proper care.
However, there are so many different types of crassula ovata, that it’s not a case of one size fits all! In this article, I’ll be discussing the most popular jade plant types, how big they get, how fast jade plants grow, and how to make a jade plant grow faster!
How Big Can a Jade Plant Get?
A jade plant is a wonderful succulent that is often given as a housewarming gift for good luck! But if you are wondering, ‘How big do jade plants get?’, then you’ll need to know the type of jade plant you have purchased. Below I have outlined the 6 most popular types of crassula ovata plants and how big you can expect them to grow!
Money Plant (12 ft, 3.6m)
The most common type of crassula ovata and the one most people typically think of when we refer to a ‘jade plant’ is the money plant or lucky plant.
Money plants can have a similar life span to a human and, in that time, can grow up to 12 feet tall and 3 feet wide! This means that they will often become top-heavy, so at some point, you’ll need to invest in a sturdy container to help with this.
The money plant is considered to be a slow-growing succulent, and in the first few years, you can expect only a few inches of growth. However, from time to time this lucky plant will flower with beautiful small white flowers in the autumn/spring. To achieve this, the plant will need to be mature and have good living conditions.
How big does a money plant get? 12ft, 3.6m.
Golden Jade Tree, ‘Hummel’s Sunset’ (3ft, 0.9m)
Known for its striking appearance, the golden jade tree (Hummel’s Sunset) is a beautiful type of jade plant that has green oval leaves, with yellow or gold edges.
The golden jade tree will grow upward and outward. It can reach a height of 3ft tall and a width of 2 feet. This is a perfect beginner’s succulent, as it is very easy to care for and works well as an outdoor and indoor plant.
As with most jade plants, this is a slow-growing type of succulent, and you can expect only a few inches of growth within the first few years. Mature plants will often flower in the fall and winter with beautiful small white flowers! This is an ideal gift for a housewarming present and will surely bring good luck to new homeowners!
How big does a golden jade plant get? 3ft, 0.9m.
Miniature Jade Plant ‘Minima’ (2.5 ft, 0.8 m)
The miniature jade plant, scientifically recognized as Crastula ovata ‘minima’, is a fantastic small jade plant that is perfect for indoors. This tiny succulent has thick green leaves with reddish/brown edges.
This is an ideal office succulent due to its low maintenance and small size. A miniature jade plant has small, star-shaped flowers that are coral pink! These flowers, combined with the red edges of the leaves, make a stunningly beautiful houseplant.
This miniature plant is a slow grower, and hence the name, doesn’t grow to a huge height. You can expect a crassula ovata minima to grow up to 2.5 feet tall, and this is at its most mature.
How big does a miniature jade plant get? 2.5ft, 0.9m.
Dwarf Jade Plant (10ft, 3m)
The dwarf jade is a popular houseplant worldwide, and with the right pruning techniques can be turned into a bonsai tree. With a similar appearance to the money plant, the dwarf jade has small, thick green leaves with burgundy stems.
The dwarf jade can actually grow up to 10 feet tall when it reaches full maturity and should be properly cared for. Although it is a relatively low-maintenance plant, you’ll want to make sure that you nail the watering schedule to promote growth.
In the late spring to early summer, you can expect the dwarf jade plant to bloom with beautiful flowers of pink and white. This is one of the most popular types of crassula ovata due to its low maintenance and ability to be pruned into a bonsai.
How big does a dwarf jade get? 10ft, 3m
Hobbit Jade Plant (3ft, 0.9m)
The hobbit jade plant has a striking appearance; with its trumpet-shaped green leaves, it really is a wonderful sight.
Hobbit jades can grow up to 3 feet tall and 2 feet wide and are dormant in the winter months. It is an extremely popular houseplant amongst LOTR fans, as it originally gets its name from The Lord of the Rings novel.
It is a relatively slow-growing succulent, and a hobbit’s leaves can grow up to 2 inches long. This is probably one of my favorite jade plant types, as it has such a unique, distinctive look.
How big does a hobbit jade get? 3ft, 0.9m
Gollum Jade Plant (3 ft, 0.9 m)
Not to be mistaken for the crassula hobbit! Gollum jade has the same trumpet-shaped leaves as a hobbit plant, and it is very easy to get the two confused.
The main difference between hobbit and gollum jade plants is the curling of the leaves. A gollum jade plant’s leaves are tubular, and the tips almost look as if they are a suction cup. Hobbit jade leaves are much fatter, with the leaf tip being a reddish color.
Gollum jade plants can grow up to 3 feet tall and 2 feet wide. Again, this crassula ovata type is popular amongst LOTR fans! They are resilient houseplants, so are perfect if you have a busy schedule and are susceptible to a forgotten watering or two!
How big does a gollum jade get? 3ft, 0.9m.
| Related: Do Jade Plants Bloom? |
How Fast do Jade Plants Grow?
Okay, so I have taken you through the most popular types of jade plants and answered the ever-important question, ‘How big do jade plants get?’. But how fast do jade plants grow?
I briefly touched upon this above, but jade plants, as is the case with most succulents, are slow growers. The most common jade plant (money plant), it will only grow about 2 inches per year, so you could be waiting a long time for a fully mature jade tree.
Flowering often only occurs when you own a mature jade plant, so again, if your plant is in the early stages of its life, you could be waiting years to see those wonderful blooms.
How to Make Jade Plant Grow Faster?
Although you can’t physically force a jade plant to grow faster, with the right care and attention, you can indeed promote growth. If, for example, you are a bit neglectful of your succulent plant, then this will obviously stunt stump growth.
The main areas to focus on when trying to make a jade plant grow faster are; light, water, fertilizer, temperature, and repotting.
Light
When trying to get a jade plant to grow big, the lighter the better! These plants are native to bright, sunny areas so placing in a south-facing window with lots of sunlight is a must. If you have an outdoor jade plant, then even better. Place in an area outdoors that receives lots of sunlight and isn’t sheltered by any shade.
If your jade plant is an indoor houseplant, and you live somewhere that doesn’t get a lot of sunlight, then you can look into buying a grow light. These are fantastic devices that perfectly mimic natural daylight and will definitely help your jade plant grow faster.
Water
Probably the most important factor when trying to make a jade plant grow faster! Getting the correct watering schedule can be difficult but is a must for any succulent type. Jade plants are susceptible to overwatering, and this can cause a wealth of problems, such as jade plant bugs and will certainly stump the growth as well as turning the leaves yellow. If left untreated, you’ll eventually notice the jade plant leaves turning black.
That being said, you also don’t want to dehydrate and drown your plant. It can be difficult to find the correct balance, as there is no right or wrong watering schedule. So many factors can affect when you should water a jade plant, such as environment, seasons, and temperature.
As a general rule of thumb, go by the ‘water more, less often’. What this means is that you should wait until the soil is bone dry throughout before even thinking about watering a jade plant. When you do water, give it a thorough soaking, until the water pours out of the drainage holes. Make sure you pour this excess water away and do not leave your jade plant sitting in a saucer of water. This will cause problems such as root rot!
Fertilizer
Fertilizing a jade plant once before the growing season will give it the boost it needs to grow faster. You should be using a water-soluble houseplant fertilizer at the recommended strengths.
Only fertilize a jade plant once, in the early spring, before the growing season begins. As jade plants are dormant in the winter, it is unnecessary to fertilize during this time. Fertilizing a plant during dormant months will actually cause more damage than good!
Temperature
Having the right temperature is another key factor in increasing the growth rate of your jade plant. Crassula ovata will grow best in temperature environments of around 65-86 F.
For indoor plants, it should be fairly easy to keep within this temperature range. If however your jade plant lives outdoors and it gets colder in the winter, you should move your plant indoors before the temperature drops.
You should also avoid placing your jade plant near any areas indoors that have a draft or avoid placing it under an air conditioning vent.
Repotting
If you are trying to grow your jade plant bigger, then eventually you will need to repot into a bigger container.
Jade plants do enjoy cozy roots, and you will only need to report once every 2–3 years. Even then, you should only go up one container size. Any more than this will be too big!
Once you have repotted, you should avoid using fertilizer for a good 4–5 months. This is because the roots will be delicate from repotting, and the chemicals from the fertilizer will damage the roots.
| Also check: How to Save an Overwatered Jade Plant |
How Big Do Jade Plants Get? A Conclusion
I hope this article has given you the exact information you were after. I have tried to best answer the question, ‘How big do jade plants get?’ and have given you the 6 most common types of crassula ovata, along with how big they get!
This included; money plant, golden jade tree, miniature jade plant, dwarf jade, hobbit jade, and gollum jade.
The size of each varies, and you should focus on taking proper care of your jade plant to promote growth.
I also talked about how fast jade plants go along with tips on how to make a jade plant grow faster. This included light, water, fertilizer, temperature, and repotting.
If you have any questions, then feel free to leave a comment and I’ll get back to you!
