If you are a passionate indoor gardener, you may be familiar with the Jade plant’s thick branches and succulent leaves. But have you seen their flower?
So, if you are annoyed with the inability to make your Jade plant bloom despite great effort, you have come to the right place.
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What Does the Jade Plant Flower Look Like?
Flowers of the Jade plant usually come in clusters covered by pink sepals on the tip of the branches. But you need to force the plant to produce buds.
Let’s look at some other information about the Jade plant’s flower.
| Indicator | Identity |
|---|---|
| Structure | Star shaped flowers in cluster |
| Size | Small flower about 2 inches |
| Color | White or pink blossoms |
| Fragrance | Faint sweet fragrance |
| Blooming Season | Late winter to early spring |
| Seeds | Small capsule enclosing small seed |
| Toxicity | Mildly poisonous to both human and pets |
The Jade plant requires external pollinators for pollination. In the natural environment, bats, butterflies, winds, etc., pollinate the Jade flowers.
How Often Does a Jade Plant Flower?
The Jade plant is known for its lush green, glossy thick oval-shaped leaves rather than its flower.
However, it is not easy to see them flower if the environment is highly humid and unfavorable for the plants to produce buds.
Even in its natural habitat, Jade grows without flowering for many years.
There is no precise flowering duration for this species. Hence, flowering is variable and infrequent, even in plants’ native habitats.
Generally, the Jade plant will produce flowers in mid to late winter or spring.
The primary mode of propagation for Jade is a vegetative method, so they don’t need to bloom and produce seeds for reproduction.
Did you know? As per Feng Shui when a Jade plant flowers, it is considered a complement. In addition, the flowering Jade plant represents a strong friendship, bringing good fortune and success.
How to Make a Jade Plant Flower?
For your Jade to bloom, it requires a dry environment, reduced watering, lower temperatures at night, and a proper balance between its dormancy and photoperiod.
Consider these ideas to make your Jade plant flower both indoors and outdoors.
1. Keep them Rootbound
It is well-known that plants invest their energy in developing shoots and roots.
But, if you want to see flowers in your Jade, you must limit its root development.
Hence, keep it so and avoid re-potting once your plant is rootbound.
2. Force Dormancy
At the beginning of September, the plant undergoes dormancy but not wholly.
At this time, inducing a slight drought can promote bud formation in Jade plants.
Water it only after the soil dries entirely or when its leaves appear shrunken.
Ensure that the plant receives bright sunlight and no other alternative light source.
The long night, optimal daylight, and water withhold force the Jade plant to produce buds.
3. Keep the Temperature Ideal
You need to maintain moderately warm temperatures to encourage blooms in the Jade plant.
Bring the plant indoors during frosty nights as temperature extremities can be harsh for them.
The Jade plant will start producing buds around the year’s shortest days and flowering from late winter to early spring.
During this period, maintain the temperature around 50-60°F (10-15°C).
4. Provide Ample Sunlight
The flowering habits of any plant are directly proportional to the amount of sunlight it receives.
So introduce your Jade plant to 7-9 hours of bright indirect sunlight and a few hours of direct morning light or afternoon shades.
Moreover, you must fulfill its light requirements but protect the plant from the scorching midday sun of summer as it burns foliage.
The best location is an eastern-facing or south-facing window reflecting afternoon shades.
Moreover, if your Jade plant has started turning red, it is a good indicator of flower production.
5. Move Your Jade Plant Outdoors
Since light sunlight is vital to your plant’s flowering, it is beneficial to keep your Jade outdoors.
Indoor light is insufficient for your Jade plant to bloom. Besides, ample light also helps to keep the plant healthy and happy.
If you live in USDA Zones 10-11, it is ideal to keep them outdoors. However, ensure to bring them indoors during frosty nights.
6. Regulate Fertilization
Fertilization is key to encouraging blooming in Jade. However, you need to avoid fertilizing them when the plant enters dormancy.
Provide your Jade plant with phosphorous-rich fertilizer or dilute balanced liquid fertilizer to encourage blooming.
Feed your Jade plant by adding 1-2 teaspoons of dried, ground banana peel powder rich in potassium to 1 liter of water and applying the mixture once a month.
Alternatively, tomato fertilizers are also helpful in encouraging blooming.
What Should you do With Jade Plant Flower?
It is rare to see tiny flower clusters that accentuate the Jade plant’s looks, so let them flower as it is considered as a good sign of luck, fortune, bond, and friendship.
However, if you think flowers engulf the plant’s energy, you can always toss them off.
Prune the Jade plant with sharp and sterilized instruments only after the flower stops blooming, and the stalks turn brown.
Apart from its cultural or mythological value of luck and prosperity, the Jade plant flower also yields seeds.
Moreover, the aromatic Jade plant serves you many traditional and health benefits.
Besides, the sweet fragrance of its flower helps to soothe the mind and calm nerves.
Are Jade Plants Toxic?
Do you have small kids and pets at your home? If so, you must avoid letting them play with Jade.
According to ASPCA, the Jade plant is highly toxic to pets and humans.
However, it is unknown what makes Jade toxic. All parts of the Jade are poisonous, especially its highly toxic flowers.
Similarly, in pets, it causes drooling, vomiting, irritability, pawing at the mouth, etc.
Contact local veterans, or you can dial up ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center helpline (888) 426-4435 in case of emergency.
Besides, its sap might also irritate your skin, so wear gloves while pruning or propagating them.
From Editorial Team
Although Jade plant flowers are pretty and desirable, getting them while growing indoors isn’t easy.
Always remember to water your Jade plant regularly when it’s flowering.
However, overwatering them can also be the primary issue on why they aren’t blooming. So, Keep in mind to make your soil moist but not wet.
