The jade tree: find out how to propagate the "money plant" starting from a single leaf!

Among the easiest plants to grow and are widespread as specimens kept at home is the so-called jade tree, or Crassula Ovata. Another name is "money plant (or tree)", because it is believed to have the ability to bring good luck and prosperity. This is a widespread belief in China and also in parts of the rest of the world, although crassula ovata is actually a succulent plant native from Africa.

It has fleshy, jade-colored leaves (hence its common name) and which come to have a somewhat rounded shape, reminiscent of that of coins. Since they are an auspicious gift for any home, why not learn how to propagate this plant to get many of them? Just a leaf or a sprig (cutting) is enough!

From the leaves

The method of propagation from the leaf is the same as that used for several other types of succulent plants, such as many sedums. All that needs to be done is:

1. Pick off the leaves at the base, peeling them off with your hands or (to avoid an uneven cut) use a knife / scissors with sharp and sterilized blades.
2. Leave the leaves in a shady, dry place for the cut to dry out. Wait three days.
3. Place each leaf on top of soil that you have prepared in a jar or tray, a few centimeters deep. The jar / tray must be placed in a bright spot in the house but not in direct sunlight.
4. Sprinkle with water often, every day or every other day, but do not overdo it with each dose: the leaves must be sprayed and the soil underneath must only be moistened.
5. When you notice that the roots are sprouting, plant them into the ground so that the soil holds the leaf vertically. The roots can take a while to sprout, so be patient and don't let the leaves rot or dry out.

The soil must be that typically used for succulents, therefore one mixed with sand or perlite and with clay on the bottom, in order to allow for good draining.

Some plants, such as crassula, can also be propagated faster, i.e. by skipping steps 2 to 4, i.e. and by sticking the leaves directly into the soil immediately after cutting them. Or, skipping just steps 3 and 4, drying the cut out and then planting them directly into the soil.

From the sprigs

If you don't want to wait for a single leaf to produce new buds (they usually do it from the base, after they have taken rooted properly), you can propagate from the mother plant (when it is well developed and full) by taking a sprig off it instead.

1. Cut the sprig at the base, with all its leaves still on, and always using sharp and sterilized blades.
2. If you have any (it is advisable to buy some), dip the sprig in a little water and then in a powdered rooting hormone.
3. Put the sprig in the soil (soil used for succulents).
4. Spray water on the sprig every 3 to 4 days, making sure you don't overdo it and keep the soil moist, but not wet.

There are also those who root the sprigs by keeping them in just water, which is then changed a couple of times a week until the roots sprout - and at that point, they plant the seedling.

Even with the sprigs, then, you can do what you did with the leaves: let the cut dry out for a couple of days, then place the sprig on the soil but not covered by it, sprinkling with water regularly. Only when you notice that the roots have sprouted, and maybe even buds are forming, you can plant it normally.

Have you grown Crassula Ovata in your home?