• Photo of Crassula arborescens (Crassula arborescenss)

Plant Profile: Crassula arborescens

Names

Chinese Jade, Silver Dollar, Silver Dollar Jade, Silver Dollar Plant, Silver Jade Plant

  • Photo of Crassula arborescens (Crassula arborescenss)

Phonetic Spelling:KRASS-yoo-la ar-bo-RES-senz

Genus:Crassula

Species:arborescens

Family:Crassulaceae

The Silver Dollar Plant, a succulent hailing from South Africa and belonging to the jade family, is commonly cultivated as a houseplant. It features visually appealing, rounded leaves that exhibit a blue-gray hue adorned with maroon edges and small maroon speckles on the upper side. This charming small shrub can reach heights of up to 4 feet, boasting multiple thick stems. While it produces clusters of star-shaped pink or white flowers in the spring or summer, it seldom blooms when kept indoors.

For optimal growth, it thrives in potting soil designed for cacti and succulents, ideally housed in clay pots equipped with several drainage holes. It prefers a location with full sun to light shade and should be watered sparingly to avoid root rot.

However, it is important to note that the plant is vulnerable to mealybugs and various fungal diseases.

Crassula arborescens Feature Summary

Crassula arborescens Image Gallery

Tags

#full sun tolerant
#houseplant
#gray leaves
#silver leaves
#fleshy leaves
#showy leaves
#xeriscaping
#dry soils tolerant
#partial shade tolerant
#problem for cats
#fleshy stems
#problem for dogs
#problem for horses

Similar Plants

Crassula arborescens Feature Summary

Flowers
Star-shaped white or pink flowers in clusters
Pink
White
Spring
Summer
4-5 petals/rays
Leaves
Up to 3 inches long opposite elliptical fleshy blue-grey leaves with maroon piping around the edges and speckles of maroon on the upper surface of the leaves.
Green
Gray/Silver
Blue
Red/Burgundy
Elliptical
1-3 inches
1-3 inches
Stem
Thick succulent stems. Can become woody with age.
Brown/Copper
Green
Poisonous to Humans
Vomiting, drunkenness (cats), tremors (rare)
Attributes
Whole Plant Traits
Houseplant
Succulent
Multi-stemmed
Erect
Medium
Cultural Conditions
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Good Drainage
Occasionally Dry
Loam (Silt)
Sand
Landscape
Drought Tolerant Garden
Container
Houseplants
Problem for Cats
Problem for Dogs
Problem for Horses

Crassula arborescens Flowers

Crassula arborescens: Flower Description

Star-shaped white or pink flowers in clusters

Crassula arborescens: Flower Color

filter_vintage
Pink
filter_vintage
White

Crassula arborescens: Flower Inflorescence

Catkin
Corymb
Cyme
Head
Insignificant
Panicle
Raceme
Solitary
Spadix
Spike
Umbel

Crassula arborescens: Flower Bloom Time

Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall

Crassula arborescens: Flower Petals

2-3 rays/petals
4-5 petals/rays
6 petals/rays
7 - 20 petals/rays
asymmetrical petals
Bracts
Colored Sepals
fused petals
more than 20 petals/rays
Tepals

Crassula arborescens: Flower Shape

Bell
Cross
Crown
Cup
Dome
Funnel
Irregular
Lipped
Radial
Saucer
Star
Trumpet
Tubular
Urn
Wheel

Crassula arborescens Leaves

Crassula arborescens: Leaf Description

Up to 3 inches long opposite elliptical fleshy blue-grey leaves with maroon piping around the edges and speckles of maroon on the upper surface of the leaves.

Crassula arborescens: Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics

Broadleaf Evergreen
Deciduous
Needled Evergreen
Semi-evergreen

Crassula arborescens: Leaf Color

spa
Blue
spa
Gray/Silver
spa
Green
spa
Red/Burgundy

Crassula arborescens: Leaf Type

Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Fronds
Needles
Sheath
Simple

Crassula arborescens: Leaf Arrangement

Alternate
Opposite
Other/more complex
Rosulate
Whorled

Crassula arborescens: Leaf Shape

Acicular
Auriculate
Cordate
Cuneate
Deltoid
Elliptical
Filiform
Lanceolate
Linear
Oblanceolate
Oblong
Obovate
Obtuse
Orbicular
Ovate
Palmasect
Palmatifid
Peltate
Pinnatifid
Pinnatisect
Reniform
Rhomboidal
Spatulate
Subcordate
Subulate

Crassula arborescens: Leaf Margin

Crenate
Crenulate
Dentate
Denticulate
Doubly Crenate
Doubly Dentate
Doubly Serrate
Entire
Lobed
Serrate
Sinuate
Undulate

Crassula arborescens: Hairs Present

No
Yes

Crassula arborescens: Leaf Length

< 1 inch
1-3 inches
3-6 inches
> 6 inches

Crassula arborescens: Leaf Feel

Fleshy
Glossy
Leathery
Papery
Prickly
Rough
Rubbery
Slippery
Smooth
Soft
Velvety
Waxy

Crassula arborescens: Leaf Value To Gardener

Edible
Fragrant
Good Cut
Good Dried
Long-lasting
Showy

Crassula arborescens: Leaf Width

< 1 inch
1-3 inches
3-6 inches
> 6 inches

Crassula arborescens Stem

Crassula arborescens: Stem Description

Thick succulent stems. Can become woody with age.

Crassula arborescens: Stem Color

grass
Brown/Copper
grass
Green

Crassula arborescens: Stem Is Aromatic

No
Yes

Crassula arborescens Poisonous to Humans

Crassula arborescens: Poison Symptoms

Vomiting, drunkenness (cats), tremors (rare)

Crassula arborescens: Poison Toxic Principle

Unknown

Crassula arborescens: Poison Severity

High
Low
Medium

Crassula arborescens: Causes Contact Dermatitis

No
Yes

Crassula arborescens Attributes

Crassula arborescens: Life Cycle

Annual
Biennial
Bulb
Perennial
Woody

Crassula arborescens: Recommended Propagation Strategy

Division
Grafting
Layering
Leaf Cutting
Root Cutting
Seed
Stem Cutting

Crassula arborescens Whole Plant Traits

Crassula arborescens: Plant Type

Annual
Bulb
Carnivorous
Edible
Epiphyte
Fern
Ground Cover
Herb
Herbaceous Perennial
Houseplant
Mushroom
Native Plant
Ornamental Grasses and Sedges
Perennial
Poisonous
Rose
Shrub
Succulent
Tree
Turfgrass
Vegetable
Vine
Water Plant
Weed
Wildflower

Crassula arborescens: Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics

Broadleaf Evergreen
Deciduous
Needled Evergreen
Semi-evergreen

Crassula arborescens: Habit/Form

Arching
Ascending
Broad
Cascading
Climbing
Clumping
Columnar
Conical
Creeping
Dense
Erect
Horizontal
Irregular
Mounding
Multi-stemmed
Multi-trunked
Open
Oval
Prostrate
Pyramidal
Rounded
Spreading
Vase
Weeping

Crassula arborescens: Growth Rate

Slow
Medium
Rapid

Crassula arborescens: Maintenance

Low
Medium
High

Crassula arborescens: Texture

Fine
Medium
Coarse

Crassula arborescens Cultural Conditions

Crassula arborescens: Light

Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day)
Deep shade (Less than 2 hours to no direct sunlight)
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)

Crassula arborescens: Soil Drainage

Frequent Standing Water
Good Drainage
Moist
Occasional Flooding
Occasionally Dry
Occasionally Wet
Very Dry

Crassula arborescens: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone

thermostat
10a
thermostat
10b
thermostat
11a
thermostat
11b
thermostat
9a
thermostat
9b

Crassula arborescens: Soil Texture

Clay
High Organic Matter
Loam (Silt)
Sand
Shallow Rocky

Crassula arborescens Landscape

Crassula arborescens: Landscape Theme

Asian Garden
Butterfly Garden
Children's Garden
Cottage Garden
Cutting Garden
Drought Tolerant Garden
Edible Garden
English Garden
Fairy Garden
Garden for the Blind
Native Garden
Nighttime Garden
Pollinator Garden
Rain Garden
Rock Garden
Shade Garden
Water Garden
Winter Garden

Crassula arborescens: Resistance To Challenges

Black Walnut
Compaction
Deer
Diseases
Drought
Dry Soil
Erosion
Fire
Foot Traffic
Heat
Heavy Shade
Humidity
Insect Pests
Pollution
Poor Soil
Rabbits
Salt
Slugs
Squirrels
Storm damage
Urban Conditions
Voles
Wet Soil
Wind

Crassula arborescens: Landscape Location

Coastal
Container
Hanging Baskets
Houseplants
Lawn
Meadow
Naturalized Area
Near Septic
Patio
Pond
Pool/Hardscape
Recreational Play Area
Riparian
Rock Wall
Slope/Bank
Small Space
Vertical Spaces
Walkways
Woodland

Crassula arborescens: Problems

Allelopathic
Contact Dermatitis
Frequent Disease Problems
Frequent Insect Problems
Invasive Species
Malodorous
Messy
Poisonous to Humans
Problem for Cats
Problem for Children
Problem for Dogs
Problem for Horses
Short-lived
Spines/Thorns
Weak Wood
Weedy