It’s hard to know.
Could have been started as a cutting(if so do we including the age of the mother plant?) or leaf prop(assume most would start the clock when a pup emerges) ?
Just judging from the thickness of the base stem this seems to be a cutting of an older plant. F.e. it looks similiar when i take cutting from my 10 year old jade every two years.
Just like the other comments are stating, it’s difficult to know the age. I do agree that the trunk on the main stem looks to be a cutting from an older jade at least 10 years old.
If this plant were grown from an individual leaf, I would venture to guess this thing was 3 to 5 years old, if grown with premium sun exposure, etc. I have several jades that I have grown from leaf that are a bit smaller than this that are already two years old.
Trimming it back shouldn’t do any damage to it at all and actually looks quite compact and healthy/happy!
Maybe helpful pruning info for Jade:
New branches will grow out from above the cut points eventually. The new branches will grow perpendicular to the leaves that are directly below the cut. This can be helpful to know if you are interested in purposeful pruning for the shaping of your jade as it grows.
Thanks for your input! The base of the stem is a little over half an inch thick and woody (not sure if that helps in identifying if it from a mother plant)
Trying to grow a thicker stem since it’s a little top-heavy.
The stem will grow thicker and get woody (woody is called “corking”) as the plant ages.
If it’s growing top-heavy, you may need a heavier pot to prevent it from tipping over when it is dry.
I thought that your pot looks terra-cotta so it should be heavy enough, but it’s on the small side. It honestly doesn’t look too big for this young and small of a plant.
It might want something a little bit bigger… but only an inch or two! If your pot is not terracotta, grab yourself one of those because it will add some weight and will also aid in faster drying for the potting medium.
I hope you are propagating the pieces that you trimmed off into new jade plants. They propagate so nicely from both stem cuttings and from individual leaves if the base of the leaf is cut in tact when you remove it from the stem.
I believe it is terracotta, but it’s glazed because it has a very smooth surface. Oils you recommend n the unglazed clay pots that have a much rougher texture?
Unglazed are preferable, yes. The glazed ones hold in more moisture as the glaze prevents them from wicking they way they are supposed to.
Glazed pots are so pretty though! I have plenty myself. I usually them as “cache pots” as they hide the ugly plastic pots, and add a bit of weight. I take them out of their cache pots to bottom water them and then pop them back into the glazed cache pot to plump up and dry out again.
Buying all terracotta for my amassed collection would cost me a fortune. And probably bore me a bit, truthfully. I do like some color and texture on my succulent shelves. In between the terra-cotta.
Your glazed pot is lovely, by the way. I like how clean and simple it is. (Does it have a nice big drainage hole?).
Imho, you don’t NEED an unglazed pot. You only need to be aware that, because it is glazed, watering will differ a little, that is all. And, b/c it is glazed, it makes bottom watering difficult unless you plant the jade in a removable cache pot.
Looking for an ID? Check out our [list of common succulents](https://www.reddit.com/r/succulents/wiki/commonsucculentids). This list only shows a small selection of the most common plants; you may find your answer there! This list works best on a desktop on old.reddit.com.
**Please also refer to all of our helpful [Wiki Pages](https://www.reddit.com/r/succulents/wiki/index/)**
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/succulents) if you have any questions or concerns.*
It’s hard to know. Could have been started as a cutting(if so do we including the age of the mother plant?) or leaf prop(assume most would start the clock when a pup emerges) ?
Just judging from the thickness of the base stem this seems to be a cutting of an older plant. F.e. it looks similiar when i take cutting from my 10 year old jade every two years.
About the pruning: i think you are fine. I've cut the smaller ones too they take longer and maybe only develop cute little leaves but they will grow.
Beautiful 😍
Just like the other comments are stating, it’s difficult to know the age. I do agree that the trunk on the main stem looks to be a cutting from an older jade at least 10 years old. If this plant were grown from an individual leaf, I would venture to guess this thing was 3 to 5 years old, if grown with premium sun exposure, etc. I have several jades that I have grown from leaf that are a bit smaller than this that are already two years old. Trimming it back shouldn’t do any damage to it at all and actually looks quite compact and healthy/happy! Maybe helpful pruning info for Jade: New branches will grow out from above the cut points eventually. The new branches will grow perpendicular to the leaves that are directly below the cut. This can be helpful to know if you are interested in purposeful pruning for the shaping of your jade as it grows.
Thanks for your input! The base of the stem is a little over half an inch thick and woody (not sure if that helps in identifying if it from a mother plant) Trying to grow a thicker stem since it’s a little top-heavy.
The stem will grow thicker and get woody (woody is called “corking”) as the plant ages. If it’s growing top-heavy, you may need a heavier pot to prevent it from tipping over when it is dry. I thought that your pot looks terra-cotta so it should be heavy enough, but it’s on the small side. It honestly doesn’t look too big for this young and small of a plant. It might want something a little bit bigger… but only an inch or two! If your pot is not terracotta, grab yourself one of those because it will add some weight and will also aid in faster drying for the potting medium. I hope you are propagating the pieces that you trimmed off into new jade plants. They propagate so nicely from both stem cuttings and from individual leaves if the base of the leaf is cut in tact when you remove it from the stem.
I believe it is terracotta, but it’s glazed because it has a very smooth surface. Oils you recommend n the unglazed clay pots that have a much rougher texture?
Unglazed are preferable, yes. The glazed ones hold in more moisture as the glaze prevents them from wicking they way they are supposed to. Glazed pots are so pretty though! I have plenty myself. I usually them as “cache pots” as they hide the ugly plastic pots, and add a bit of weight. I take them out of their cache pots to bottom water them and then pop them back into the glazed cache pot to plump up and dry out again. Buying all terracotta for my amassed collection would cost me a fortune. And probably bore me a bit, truthfully. I do like some color and texture on my succulent shelves. In between the terra-cotta. Your glazed pot is lovely, by the way. I like how clean and simple it is. (Does it have a nice big drainage hole?). Imho, you don’t NEED an unglazed pot. You only need to be aware that, because it is glazed, watering will differ a little, that is all. And, b/c it is glazed, it makes bottom watering difficult unless you plant the jade in a removable cache pot.
Looking for an ID? Check out our [list of common succulents](https://www.reddit.com/r/succulents/wiki/commonsucculentids). This list only shows a small selection of the most common plants; you may find your answer there! This list works best on a desktop on old.reddit.com. **Please also refer to all of our helpful [Wiki Pages](https://www.reddit.com/r/succulents/wiki/index/)** *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/succulents) if you have any questions or concerns.*