Trailing Jade Plants: How to Grow and Care for Trailing Jade

Trailing jade (Kleinia petraea or Senecio jacobsenii), also known as vining jade or weeping jade, is a succulent plant native to Tanzania and Kenya. It prefers warm temperatures and thrives in USDA Hardiness Zones ten and eleven. You can identify this plant by its thick stems, as well as its flat, teardrop-shaped leaves that stick out perpendicular to the stem and grow in an overlapping pattern like shingles. It produces blooms of bright orange flowers.

To avoid confusion with other plants, it’s also worth noting what trailing jade is not. While it looks similar to Crassula jade (Crassula ovata) and is also a succulent, trailing jade is not closely related to Crassula jade at all. On a similar note, “trailing jade” can also refer to round leaf peperomia (Peperomia rotundifolia), which is likewise a completely different plant that’s native to South America and has thinner stems and rounder leaves.

In its native habitat, trailing jade is a groundcover, though in common usage, it’s a popular choice of houseplant due to its lush appearance. As an indoor plant, trailing jades look particularly striking in hanging baskets that allow the stems to hang down.

Of course, if you happen to live in a place with a warm climate and plenty of direct sunlight, you can also grow trailing jade outdoors.

As is the case with many other succulent plants, trailing jade propagation is relatively straightforward:

1. 1. Take cuttings. A trailing jade will root from either a stem or a leaf, so you can take either from an existing trailing jade plant. Note that a stem cutting will grow faster than a leaf cutting.
2. 2. Dry out your cuttings. Let the cuttings dry out on a clean towel in a dry place for a few days. This prevents rot.
3. 3. Place the cuttings in sandy soil. When potting or repotting your trailing jade, make sure to use sandy soil with plenty of perlite to help with drainage. As a succulent, trailing jade is very sensitive to being overwatered.
4. 4. Wait for your new trailing jade to root before watering. Check for signs of rooting—white strings shooting out of the base of your cutting—before watering your new plant. Once the root structure is in place, water as needed.

As a drought-tolerant succulent, trailing jade is easy to care for. Make sure you have these three basics covered.

1. 1. Light: Most succulents thrive with plenty of light. Place your trailing jade in a place that gets full sun or light shade, like a windowsill, for best results.
2. 2. Soil: When shopping for a potting mix, choose sandy, well-draining soil. The sand mimics trailing jade’s natural habitat, while perlite and other materials can help aerate the potting mix, reducing the potential for root rot.
3. 3. Watering: Refrain from overwatering your trailing jade. About once a week, insert your finger into the soil up to the second knuckle to check the moisture level. If the soil feels dry, it’s time to water. Let the soil dry out completely between waterings.

With the right conditions, your trailing jade should be able to thrive without much intervention.

• Special care: Trailing jade generally doesn’t require pruning unless it gets leggy. Stay away from fertilizer, which can lead to moisture retention—something this heat-loving plant doesn’t need.
• Pests: One of the primary pests that afflict trailing jade is mealybugs. If you notice a white, cottony substance where the leaf meets the stem, remove it and wipe the area clean with a small amount of rubbing alcohol.
• Repotting: Due to their limited root structure and slow growth, trailing jade plants typically don’t require repotting. If you do want to repot your trailing jade, choose a pot with adequate drainage and use a fresh bag of potting soil.

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