Jade Plant Benefits: The Must-Have Houseplant

Jade plants are stunning indoor plants that add a touch of green to a space. They also deliver various benefits, including air purification, improved mental health, and positive energy.

If you’ve been toying with adding a Jade Plant to your houseplant collection, we may persuade you by exploring the benefits you can expect by introducing one into your home.

So grab a hot cup of coffee, and get ready to be convinced!

Jade Plant Benefits: 5 of Our Favorites

It is no secret we at the Garden Bench Top are partial to a succulent plant or two. And the humble Jade Plant (crassula ovata) is no exception.

Not only are they versatile houseplants that come in a variety of shapes, colors, and sizes. They also produce a host of benefits for their plant parents.

Let’s take a closer look at our favorite advantages of growing jade plants in your home.

1. Environmental Improvements

Did you know Jade Plants can enhance the ambient air around them?

Similar to other indoor succulents, like the snake plant, Jade Plants can remove harmful toxins from the air.

A study conducted in 2016 by ACS (American Chemical Society) tested a variety of indoor plants and their ability to absorb toxins. The plants involved in the experiment were Jade Plants (of course), spider plants, bromeliad, dracaena, and the Caribbean Tree Cactus.

Jade plants can clean our air by absorbing toxins

Both the bromeliad and spider plants yielded the best results.

That said, they did find that other indoor plants did contribute to the absorption of toxins, and there was a relationship between indoor plants reducing the number of toxins in the air that we breathe.

Jade plants also contribute to releasing oxygen and absorbing CO2 through the natural process of photosynthesis. Here is a diagram of the process below.

Jade plants release pure oxygen into our indoor spaces

So, not only do they look great, but they also help us to breathe cleaner air and help to reduce the number of respiratory issues we may encounter.

On top of the additional oxygen, Jade Plants can increase humidity levels in your living space.

Relative humidity levels can directly affect the health of your skin and respiratory system. Dry conditions (low humidity) can lead to dry skin issues while encouraging irritations in your throat and hose.

Jade plants can help to humidify the surrounding air through the internal process of transpiration. It releases water molecules from the foliage or the stomata on the leaf’s surface.

Ideally, it would be best if you aimed to maintain relative indoor humidity levels between 30-60% for indoor environments.

2. Personal Improvements

Jade plants can improve your personal well-being and productivity.

Now, more than ever, it is critical to consider our mental health. Particularly with so many people worldwide opting to stay indoors or work from home.

And one way to improve your mental health is to introduce Jade Plants into your home and office.

A study by S Lee, J Lee, J Park, and Y Miyazaki found that simply bringing a few indoor plants into your workspace can deliver positive psychological and physiological effects.

As you can appreciate, the reasons for adding a bit of green to your home are stacking up.

Breathe cleaner and easier while working in a calm environment!

3. Positive Energy

Did you know, according to Feng Shui principles, Jade Plants can enhance the active, positive energy around your home?

For those unfamiliar with Feng Shui, it is an ancient art form that considers the geomancy of forms in a specific space/area. According to the New World Encyclopedia, the art of Feng Shui has been practiced for at least 3,500 years.

Simply, it analyzes the energy flow in a space and optimizes it to achieve specific goals.

Jade plants affect the flow of energy in a home and can be harnessed to bring positive energy into the lives of people in that particular space.

Unfortunately, it is not as simple as buying a Jade Plant and placing it in your home. Particular rules need to be followed. And each case is unique, so we cannot tell you where to place your Jade.

To harness the power of Feng Shui in your home, we recommend engaging the services of a Feng Shui master. They will take your circumstances into account and will be able to provide more bespoke suggestions for Jade Plant placement in your home.

The good news is that Feng Shui Masters consider Jade Plants symbols of good luck, prosperity, and wealth, which explains why some people refer to Jade Plants as Money Plants or Lucky Plants.

Not to mention, their circular foliage looks like coins growing on a money tree!

4. Medicinal Uses

Jade plants not only deliver good fortune and better breathing. They can also be used for medicinal purposes.

Cultures from around the world use Jade to cure ailments.

For example, in China, traditional methods include the foliage of Jade in soups and dishes to remedy diabetes.

While African tribes have been known to use the inside of the fleshy leaves to treat exposed wounds and skin lesions like skin warts, they also ingest the sap of Jade to treat a stomach upset or nausea.

5. Perfect for Beginners

We’ve saved the best for last in our list of Jade Plant benefits.

Jade Plants have to be one of the easiest plants to grow. They are low-maintenance, drought-tolerant, and simply undemanding.

Jade requires so little care from their owners it would not be a far stretch to say that they thrive on neglect.

Jade plants are the ideal first plant for beginners

These traits make them the perfect first plants for people new to indoor plants and gardening. Jade plants are incredibly forgiving and won’t throw a tantrum if you miss a watering.

Jade Plants are even easy to propagate. It is almost harder not to propagate them if that makes sense. If you don’t believe us, check out our experience propagating Jade from leaves.

Long story short, we had a problem with a rat using our Jade as a snack machine. In the process, it chewed off many Jade Plant leaves and Jade Plant cuttings. To our surprise, the fallen debris started to grow baby Jade Plants, which are now growing into a mini Jade garden!

Benefits of Jade Plants

If you haven’t got a Jade Plant in your home yet, what are you waiting for?

After reading all the Jade Plant benefits should have you racing down to your local nursery or plant supply store!

They are one of our favorite plants to cultivate and are one of the first houseplants we recommend to new plant parents.

Send us pictures of your Jade Plants and share the love with the community.

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References

• Lee, S., Lee, J., Park, J., & Miyazaki, Y. (2015). Interaction with indoor plants may reduce psychological and physiological stress by suppressing autonomic nervous system activity in young adults: a randomized crossover study. Journal of Physiological Anthropology, 34(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40101-015-0060-8