The jade plant (Crassula ovata) is a popular succulent cherished for its thick, oval, green leaves and tree-like growth habit. Originating from South Africa, it is a common houseplant. Despite its distinct appearance, several other plants are often mistaken for jade plants. Understanding the unique characteristics of Crassula ovata and its common look-alikes helps in accurate identification and proper plant care.
Elephant Bush (Portulacaria afra)
The most frequent mix-up occurs between Crassula ovata and Portulacaria afra, often called Elephant Bush, Dwarf Jade, or Elephant Jade. Both are succulents with small, rounded leaves and a branching structure, but key differences distinguish them. Crassula ovata develops thicker, woodier stems that become gray and gnarled with age, resembling a miniature tree trunk. Its leaves are larger, thicker, and more tear-shaped, often exhibiting a reddish tinge along the edges when exposed to ample sunlight.
In contrast, Portulacaria afra has thinner, more flexible stems that display a reddish-brown or purplish color, even when mature. Its leaves are smaller, thinner, and have a more pointed tip. The growth habit of Portulacaria afra can be more sprawling or trailing, whereas Crassula ovata tends to grow upright and self-supporting. Another differentiating factor is toxicity; Portulacaria afra is non-toxic, while Crassula ovata is mildly toxic to pets if ingested.
Other Common Look-Alikes
Beyond the Elephant Bush, other plants are occasionally mistaken for jade plants due to superficial resemblances. Pilea peperomioides, known as the Chinese Money Plant, has round, flat, pancake-like leaves that emerge on long, slender petioles from a central stem. These leaves are thinner and a lighter green than those of a jade plant, and its growth habit is more upright and less branched than Crassula ovata.
Hoya carnosa ‘Jade’ features thick, waxy, deep green leaves, but its growth habit is vining or trailing, unlike the upright, shrubby form of a jade plant. Hoya plants are known for their clusters of star-shaped flowers, which differ from the small, star-shaped white or pink flowers of Crassula ovata.
Graptopetalum paraguayense, or Ghost Plant, forms rosettes of fleshy, pale blue-gray to pinkish-yellow leaves that have a powdery, “ghost-like” coating. Its leaves are flatter and arranged in a spiral pattern within a rosette, unlike the opposing pairs of leaves on a jade plant. This plant has a more sprawling or creeping habit compared to the upright growth of Crassula ovata.
Sedum rubrotinctum, commonly called Jelly Bean Plant, has small, cylindrical, bean-shaped leaves that are plump and can turn bright red when exposed to direct sunlight. While also a succulent, its leaves are smaller and more elongated than the oval leaves of Crassula ovata, and its stems are less woody and often trail or cascade. Sedum plants have a more sprawling or clumping growth habit, unlike the tree-like structure of a mature jade plant.
True Jade Plant Varieties
Many cultivars and closely related species within the Crassula genus are considered true jade plants. These are variations of Crassula ovata or other Crassula species, not look-alikes from different genera. For instance, Crassula ovata ‘Gollum’ (also known as Hobbit Jade or Ogre Ears) has tubular leaves that resemble fingers or trumpets. Crassula ovata ‘Hobbit’ features leaves that are curled back or spoon-shaped.
Other true jade varieties include Crassula ovata ‘Minima’, a dwarf cultivar with smaller, tightly packed oval leaves, and Crassula arborescens (Silver Dollar Plant) or Crassula arborescens ssp. undulatifolia (Ripple Jade), which have broader, rounder, or wavy blue-gray leaves. These plants share the succulent characteristics and growth habit of Crassula ovata, but their leaf shapes, sizes, or colors offer diversity within the jade plant family. They are all jade plants, simply different forms of the same succulent.