Crassula portulacea (jade plant)

Japanese name: 金のなる木
Scientific name: Crassula portulacea

[Overview]
A succulent evergreen shrub 1–3 m tall.
The main stem can reach 6 cm in diameter.
It puts out thick branches; the new branches are green and later turn grayish brown.
The branches break off easily.
The leaves are simple and opposite, obovate to obovate-spatulate, 3–9 cm long and 2–4 cm wide, thick and glossy, and the leaf margins are often tinged with red.
The leaf stalk is absent or 5 mm or less long.
Cymes at the stem tips bear many star-shaped flowers about 1.5 cm across, white to pale pink.

[History]
It was introduced to Japan in the early Showa era.

[Cultivation]
Propagate by cuttings.
It prefers a sunny, well-drained, well-ventilated environment.
To overwinter it, keep it at 5°C or higher, and bring it indoors to a sunny spot in winter.
It dislikes heat and humidity, so in summer place it in an airy spot in partial shade and keep it on the dry side, watering once or twice a month, to carry it through the summer.
Place pots on a shelf or similar so air can reach the bottom, and move them out of the rain during long rainy spells.
In spring and autumn, water thoroughly only after the soil in the pot has dried all the way through; in winter keep it on the dry side.
Fertilizer can be kept light; from spring to autumn, place a small amount of slow-release chemical fertilizer on the soil or give diluted liquid fertilizer.
There are no particular pests or diseases.

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