Crassula argentea Thunb. is an older botanical name for the plant now correctly called Crassula ovata (Mill.) Druce, the jade plant or money tree. The name is treated as a synonym under current Kew taxonomy and is no longer a separately accepted species.
Part of the Complete Crassula Guide.
The same plant, a different label
Thunberg's name, first published in 1778, predates much of the subsequent taxonomic work on the genus. Miller's Crassula ovata (1768) has priority under the International Code of Nomenclature, and both C. argentea and C. portulacea have been reduced to synonymy for decades.
The name still circulates. You will see it on older plant labels, in mid-twentieth-century gardening books, and occasionally on supermarket stock. Every plant sold under Crassula argentea is the familiar jade: a woody-stemmed succulent shrub with thick glossy obovate leaves, native to the Eastern Cape of South Africa.
Care and growing
Bright light, gritty free-draining substrate, water when the top 3–4 cm dries, minimum 5 °C. Nothing about the care regime changes when the label on the pot does. For the full profile including propagation, bonsai training, and pests, see the species page.
Full details at Crassula ovata.
See also
Frequently Asked Questions
What light does this Crassula need?
Bright light is the default. Compact species and red-flushing cultivars need several hours of direct sun after gradual acclimation.
How should it be watered?
Water thoroughly, then allow the upper 3–4 cm of substrate to dry before watering again. In cool winter conditions, reduce watering sharply.
What substrate works best?
Use a free-draining mix with substantial pumice, grit, or perlite. Dense peat-heavy compost keeps the root zone wet too long.
How is it propagated?
Stem cuttings are the most reliable method for most Crassula. Leaf cuttings work on jade-type plants but are less useful for tight stacked miniatures.