Great that you are getting flowers on it indoors. Have you seen how they flower where hardy outside? Cover themselves. The leaves are different, too, paler, broader and more upright in orientation, with a reddish rim. Indoor specimens getting strong lighting may be intermediate in appearance, maybe even almost the same as those outdoors if grown in an unshaded greenhouse or similar environment.
Ron, it's been blooming abt 10 yrs; seems to get more blossoms each year. I haven't seen pics of where they're hardy...guessing zone 10? How tall would they grow where they're hardy? I've seen the reddish rim you refer to as mine spends all summer outdoors with a large overhang protecting it from all but early morning sun. By the end of summer it had some reddish edges, presumably from the extreme Okanagan sun, even at 10 a.m. The blossoming REALLY kicked in after it grew too large and heavy for the livingroom. It went into an unused (but heated, barely) area where temp never gets above 45F. Winter watering was drastically reduced, to once or twice in four months. It was repotted into the unglazed clay pot abt 6 years ago. These pots are pricey, so I hope the jade can stay in it for another few years. Pruning is a brute, but I like the tree--versus shrub--look.
Thank you. That pic was taken end of January, when I THOUGHT it was in full bloom. This pic was taken today April 21...
Great job with your jade!! I managed to get mine to flower once - had 5 flowers on it. Does anyone know the life expectancy of a jade? My original one was about 25-30 when it started to go down hill. I kept some leaves off it to start the one I currently have which is nearing the 10 year mark I think.
That's a good question, Anne58, re jade life expectancy. I don't know the answer. I've had a few little branchlets drop off the plant into the pot; they've rooted without help from me. After a few months, I carefully dig the pups and pot them up. Good that you've got your jade's descendant going!
The oldest Jade that I have seen is over 80 years old. The trunk is about 8 inches wide and it stood 5 ft from the soil... (it was left to in a greenhouse for 20 years before someone said "that's a huge jade tree we have there").
Wow...80 years. If only there were a photo of it at that age. Guess mine'll be around for a while yet.
