Common succulents can also be grown into jade-like bonsai

We often see some veteran gardeners growing various plants into ornamental bonsai, and the bonsai below are all grown from succulents. They have very unique shapes, and some look just like miniature big trees. Let's take a look at which succulents these are.

1. Golden Jade (Crassula ovata 'Hummel's Sunset')

In my impression, Golden Jade is a short ornamental succulent with reddish leaf edges that look very bright and beautiful. However, it is also one of the best succulents for growing into bonsai plants. It has branches that lignify very easily and grows readily.

For care, you only need to keep it warm and slightly dry year-round and provide a sunny environment, and that is enough. It can also grow in partial shade, but the leaves will turn green.

The above is a Golden Jade bonsai made by a gardening enthusiast. This friend likes to place little figurines into bonsai plants, and it looks very cute.

As time passes, the branches and leaves of Golden Jade will grow in a tree-like form, and the branches at the base will continuously lignify, giving it the texture of an old tree.

2. Jade Plant (Crassula ovata)

The Jade Plant is also one of the succulents I consider most suitable for making bonsai. In fact, Golden Jade is also a side branch of the Jade Plant; both are varieties whose branches lignify easily. As long as they are cared for properly and paired with appropriate pruning, the branches at the base will grow upward and eventually form a tree-like shape. Combined with thick leaves, it is even more striking than common bonsai plants.

3. Tube Leaf Jade (Crassula ovata 'Hobbit' / 'Gollum')

Tube Leaf Jade is also a mutated variety of the Jade Plant and is a variety very suitable for making bonsai trees. The care methods are much the same: they all like a warm and slightly dry environment year-round, like plenty of sunlight, and are afraid of cold. The minimum care temperature should be kept above 5°C. Its leaf edges will also turn red because of sunlight and temperature differences.

The branches at the base of Tube Leaf Jade will continuously lignify, and paired with dense tube-shaped leaves, it looks especially charming.

4. Blue Bird Jade (Crassula ovata 'Blue Bird')

Blue Bird is a hybrid mutated variety of the Jade Plant. Its [leaves] are very large, and the leaf color is blue-gray. The leaf edges will show red because of light and temperature differences. This variety is not very suitable for growing into bonsai, but because its branches have the lignifying trait of the Jade Plant, it is not impossible to grow it into a bonsai tree. Through appropriate pruning, it can grow many branches, and the leaves look like silver dollars one by one, with ornamental value that is not inferior at all.

5. Small-leaf Jade Plant

The Jade Plant bonsai above was grown by a gardening enthusiast for five years before achieving this effect. It looks very spectacular. All the branches at the base were cut off, and the only remaining branches below also emerged later. Wait until the main stem grows to about 15 cm before letting it keep branches.

Caring for the Jade Plant is especially simple. It does not need frequent watering and is especially drought-tolerant. Give it a bit more light and water it as little as possible, and it will easily grow into the look of a bonsai.

6. Tube Leaf Jade

The Tube Leaf Jade above was pruned rather aggressively, leaving only the main stem, so it looks like a single outstanding branch. The Jade Plant beside it had the same fate. If you want to grow a bonsai-like effect, it really requires enough patience, at least a plant age of more than 5 years, paired with appropriate pruning.

7. Jade Plant

These Jade Plant bonsai above make me envious just looking at them. I really want to take them all home. They look like large-tree bonsai, and the branches at the base are completely lignified. However, their plant ages are all more than 10 years. I estimate that I would not have that much patience.

What other succulents can you think of that are suitable for making bonsai plants?