Last Updated on September 13, 2022 by Griselda M.
The Jade plant, or Crassula ovata, is an easy-to-grow, beautiful plant. It can grow in direct sunlight, indirect sunlight, and even quite deep shade. Let us ask “Do jade plants need direct sunlight?” and have a close look at the light requirement of this beautiful, easy-to-grow plant.
A Quick Overview Of The Jade Plant – Crassula ovata
The Jade plant, Crassula ovata, is native to South Africa and Mozambique where it grows in relatively hot dry conditions. The plant is a succulent and uses CAM photosynthesis. These plants are really tough – I have seen mature specimens in the wild that are 8 feet tall and grow on soil that is poor and filled with stones.
Jade plants grow in subtropical thicket vegetation – this is dense impenetrable vegetation. The plants grow in clumps in the wild, and when branches fall on the ground, these take root and become new plants. The plant grows in full sun, under other plants, and in the quite dense shade in its natural environment.
What this means is that we have a plant that is naturally able to grow in a range of light conditions, and consequently, if you know how to care for the plant, it is an excellent indoor plant that is quite adaptable to a wide range of conditions.
Do Jade Plants Need Direct Sunlight To Grow?
No, they do not. They just need dappled shade with a bit of direct sunlight and at least 8 hours, preferably more of light per day. Give them well-drained soil, do not overwater them, and ensure that they move indoors if temperatures drop below 50°F.
FAQs
Can a jade plant survive without sunlight?
Yes, it can. However, you should ensure that the soil is well-drained to prevent soil waterlogging.
Can jade plants grow in shade?
Jade plants are known to be very tolerant of low light conditions. In a shady location, however, they may need to be protected from direct sunlight. It is best if you can keep the sun off your jade plant during the hottest part of the day. During winter, they may benefit from a warmer temperature and indirect light.
Do jade plants like full sun?
Jade plants prefer light shade to full sun but can also thrive under partial sun and shade. If they get used to the full sun, they thrive in it.
Find more information about Jade Plant Leaves Crystallizing – Find Out Immediately Why Do They Crystallize
This will depend on where you are in the world – in certain places, you will have to bring the plants indoors for winter if temperatures drop below about 50°F. If your temperatures outdoors remain above that, you should be able to keep the plants outdoors permanently.
-
Sunlight
For outdoor growing, I tend to try and give them either direct sunlight or dappled shade. This gives you the prettiest plants and the most robust leaves. This does not mean that you cannot plant them in deep shade – the plants just look less robust in deep shade.
-
Temperature
If temperatures are above 50°F minimum, and ideally in the 70-80°F range by day, your plants will grow well. I have seen these plants survive temperatures as high as 122°F in summer in the wild!
-
Sufficient Water
This is a succulent – it grows naturally in areas that receive quite low rainfall per year. Hence do not overwater it! If you do, the roots can rot, and the plant can look terrible. I like to water them, and then let them dry out so the soil feels dry, and then water them again. This is what they get exposed to in nature – often they can endure 3-4 months of absolutely no rain.
-
Soil
These plants grow on incredibly poor soil or even rocks in nature. In a pot, use any cactus mix – these are well-drained soils and help you not kill your plant by overwatering it.
-
Fertilizer
These plants are very light feeders. You can use cactus fertilizer if you want to.
Growing Jade Plants Indoors
Jade plants can grow both outdoors and indoors. Let’s learn the conditions required to grow them indoors.
-
Location
Near a window so they receive light for a few hours a day directly preferably and at least 8 hours of some sort of light. Use supplement light if this is not possible.
-
Container Size
This will depend on the size plant you want to grow – you could start a small plant in a 1-gallon pot and then gradually move it up to a big planter pot of 5-10 gallons once it gets big. I grow some in half wine barrels and this looks very nice.
-
Fertilizer
If you feel the need, you can give them fertilizer a few times a year. Use a cactus fertilizer. Alternatively, they never complain if you were to give them a quart of human pee every few weeks! This is probably what they got in nature!
-
Potting Mix
The standard cactus mix will work.
-
Watering
These are plants that do not like too much water. Water them once a week, and let the soil dry out between watering for optimal results.
-
Re-pot
When your plants get too big, you should re-pot them. This will help them stay healthy and grow properly.
-
Fungicides/pesticides
I have never really needed to use these, but I have heard that in climates where the plants get a bit stressed you can end up with scale, aphids, mealy bugs, and so on. For these, a spray with some neem oil should solve the problem and then get your plant healthy again so it is not susceptible to pests.
Conclusion – Do Jade Plants Need Direct Sunlight?
No, they do not. They just need dappled shade with a bit of direct sunlight and at least 8 hours, preferably more of light per day. Give them well-drained soil, do not overwater them, and ensure that they move indoors if temperatures drop below 50°F.
FAQs
Can a jade plant survive without sunlight?
Yes, it can. However, you should ensure that the soil is well-drained to prevent soil waterlogging.
Can jade plants grow in shade?
Jade plants are known to be very tolerant of low light conditions. In a shady location, however, they may need to be protected from direct sunlight. It is best if you can keep the sun off your jade plant during the hottest part of the day. During winter, they may benefit from a warmer temperature and indirect light.
Do jade plants like full sun?
Jade plants prefer light shade to full sun but can also thrive under partial sun and shade. If they get used to the full sun, they thrive in it.
Find more information about Jade Plant Leaves Crystallizing – Find Out Immediately Why Do They Crystallize
No, they do not – they can survive in dappled shade, or even quite deep shade. Under these conditions, it is relatively important not to overwater them. If you look at how these succulents work their photosynthetic system is quite inefficient, and hence even a small amount of light is normally enough to help the produce what they need for the day – but the main thing to keep in mind is that they need sunlight for a certain number of hours – I observe this to be about 8 hours a day. If you have less than this, then you will need to install a supplemental light.
Click Here to Learn:
Growing Jade Plants Outdoors
This will depend on where you are in the world – in certain places, you will have to bring the plants indoors for winter if temperatures drop below about 50°F. If your temperatures outdoors remain above that, you should be able to keep the plants outdoors permanently.
-
Sunlight
For outdoor growing, I tend to try and give them either direct sunlight or dappled shade. This gives you the prettiest plants and the most robust leaves. This does not mean that you cannot plant them in deep shade – the plants just look less robust in deep shade.
-
Temperature
If temperatures are above 50°F minimum, and ideally in the 70-80°F range by day, your plants will grow well. I have seen these plants survive temperatures as high as 122°F in summer in the wild!
-
Sufficient Water
This is a succulent – it grows naturally in areas that receive quite low rainfall per year. Hence do not overwater it! If you do, the roots can rot, and the plant can look terrible. I like to water them, and then let them dry out so the soil feels dry, and then water them again. This is what they get exposed to in nature – often they can endure 3-4 months of absolutely no rain.
-
Soil
These plants grow on incredibly poor soil or even rocks in nature. In a pot, use any cactus mix – these are well-drained soils and help you not kill your plant by overwatering it.
-
Fertilizer
These plants are very light feeders. You can use cactus fertilizer if you want to.
Growing Jade Plants Indoors
Jade plants can grow both outdoors and indoors. Let’s learn the conditions required to grow them indoors.
-
Location
Near a window so they receive light for a few hours a day directly preferably and at least 8 hours of some sort of light. Use supplement light if this is not possible.
-
Container Size
This will depend on the size plant you want to grow – you could start a small plant in a 1-gallon pot and then gradually move it up to a big planter pot of 5-10 gallons once it gets big. I grow some in half wine barrels and this looks very nice.
-
Fertilizer
If you feel the need, you can give them fertilizer a few times a year. Use a cactus fertilizer. Alternatively, they never complain if you were to give them a quart of human pee every few weeks! This is probably what they got in nature!
-
Potting Mix
The standard cactus mix will work.
-
Watering
These are plants that do not like too much water. Water them once a week, and let the soil dry out between watering for optimal results.
-
Re-pot
When your plants get too big, you should re-pot them. This will help them stay healthy and grow properly.
-
Fungicides/pesticides
I have never really needed to use these, but I have heard that in climates where the plants get a bit stressed you can end up with scale, aphids, mealy bugs, and so on. For these, a spray with some neem oil should solve the problem and then get your plant healthy again so it is not susceptible to pests.
Conclusion – Do Jade Plants Need Direct Sunlight?
No, they do not. They just need dappled shade with a bit of direct sunlight and at least 8 hours, preferably more of light per day. Give them well-drained soil, do not overwater them, and ensure that they move indoors if temperatures drop below 50°F.
FAQs
Can a jade plant survive without sunlight?
Yes, it can. However, you should ensure that the soil is well-drained to prevent soil waterlogging.
Can jade plants grow in shade?
Jade plants are known to be very tolerant of low light conditions. In a shady location, however, they may need to be protected from direct sunlight. It is best if you can keep the sun off your jade plant during the hottest part of the day. During winter, they may benefit from a warmer temperature and indirect light.
Do jade plants like full sun?
Jade plants prefer light shade to full sun but can also thrive under partial sun and shade. If they get used to the full sun, they thrive in it.
Find more information about Jade Plant Leaves Crystallizing – Find Out Immediately Why Do They Crystallize
No, they do not – they can survive in dappled shade, or even quite deep shade. Under these conditions, it is relatively important not to overwater them. If you look at how these succulents work their photosynthetic system is quite inefficient, and hence even a small amount of light is normally enough to help the produce what they need for the day – but the main thing to keep in mind is that they need sunlight for a certain number of hours – I observe this to be about 8 hours a day. If you have less than this, then you will need to install a supplemental light.
Click Here to Learn:
Growing Jade Plants Outdoors
This will depend on where you are in the world – in certain places, you will have to bring the plants indoors for winter if temperatures drop below about 50°F. If your temperatures outdoors remain above that, you should be able to keep the plants outdoors permanently.
-
Sunlight
For outdoor growing, I tend to try and give them either direct sunlight or dappled shade. This gives you the prettiest plants and the most robust leaves. This does not mean that you cannot plant them in deep shade – the plants just look less robust in deep shade.
-
Temperature
If temperatures are above 50°F minimum, and ideally in the 70-80°F range by day, your plants will grow well. I have seen these plants survive temperatures as high as 122°F in summer in the wild!
-
Sufficient Water
This is a succulent – it grows naturally in areas that receive quite low rainfall per year. Hence do not overwater it! If you do, the roots can rot, and the plant can look terrible. I like to water them, and then let them dry out so the soil feels dry, and then water them again. This is what they get exposed to in nature – often they can endure 3-4 months of absolutely no rain.
-
Soil
These plants grow on incredibly poor soil or even rocks in nature. In a pot, use any cactus mix – these are well-drained soils and help you not kill your plant by overwatering it.
-
Fertilizer
These plants are very light feeders. You can use cactus fertilizer if you want to.
Growing Jade Plants Indoors
Jade plants can grow both outdoors and indoors. Let’s learn the conditions required to grow them indoors.
-
Location
Near a window so they receive light for a few hours a day directly preferably and at least 8 hours of some sort of light. Use supplement light if this is not possible.
-
Container Size
This will depend on the size plant you want to grow – you could start a small plant in a 1-gallon pot and then gradually move it up to a big planter pot of 5-10 gallons once it gets big. I grow some in half wine barrels and this looks very nice.
-
Fertilizer
If you feel the need, you can give them fertilizer a few times a year. Use a cactus fertilizer. Alternatively, they never complain if you were to give them a quart of human pee every few weeks! This is probably what they got in nature!
-
Potting Mix
The standard cactus mix will work.
-
Watering
These are plants that do not like too much water. Water them once a week, and let the soil dry out between watering for optimal results.
-
Re-pot
When your plants get too big, you should re-pot them. This will help them stay healthy and grow properly.
-
Fungicides/pesticides
I have never really needed to use these, but I have heard that in climates where the plants get a bit stressed you can end up with scale, aphids, mealy bugs, and so on. For these, a spray with some neem oil should solve the problem and then get your plant healthy again so it is not susceptible to pests.
Conclusion – Do Jade Plants Need Direct Sunlight?
No, they do not. They just need dappled shade with a bit of direct sunlight and at least 8 hours, preferably more of light per day. Give them well-drained soil, do not overwater them, and ensure that they move indoors if temperatures drop below 50°F.
FAQs
Can a jade plant survive without sunlight?
Yes, it can. However, you should ensure that the soil is well-drained to prevent soil waterlogging.
Can jade plants grow in shade?
Jade plants are known to be very tolerant of low light conditions. In a shady location, however, they may need to be protected from direct sunlight. It is best if you can keep the sun off your jade plant during the hottest part of the day. During winter, they may benefit from a warmer temperature and indirect light.
Do jade plants like full sun?
Jade plants prefer light shade to full sun but can also thrive under partial sun and shade. If they get used to the full sun, they thrive in it.
Find more information about Jade Plant Leaves Crystallizing – Find Out Immediately Why Do They Crystallize
Caroline is a gardener who loves to get down to the nitty–gritty of gardening. She proudly proclaims herself as a ‘dirt worshipper‘ and can often be found deep in the garden, covered in soil and singing to her plants. As a self–proclaimed ‘plant whisperer‘, Caroline believes that plants need love and attention just like any other living thing, and she loves to give them both. When she‘s not tending to her garden, you can often find her researching the latest gardening trends, or teaching others how to make their gardens thrive
