I'll skip to E) and say no. The jade plant (Crassula ovata, which comes from the Crassulace family) is unsuitable for your conditions, IMO. Better an Aloe or Agave, but I've never been a herp owner - perhaps someone else here can give you a better plant.

Cactus are from the Cactaceae family, and have, among other differences, a unique feature, from where the spines grow out of, known as aureoles.

Thank you, I guess that solves most of it then. And just for clarification, the variety I have is Crassula argentea. But I know that doesn't really change anything.

Ayup, especially since they're the same plant!

There are some succulents which would do OK where you want to put them, I think, but C.o. isn't one of them.

I've never heard of a jade cactus, but I can tell you that it should not be planted in sand..no plant should. It's a common (mistaken) belief that cactus grow in sand...look at the Sahara..see any cacti growing there? Now look at the southwest..cacti everywhere! Why? The desert of the southwest is made up of soil and other materials, very little (if any) of which is sand. Sand compacts when wet and does not allow for proper drainage. The result will be a rotting plant. If you look around this forum, you will find MANY discussions and recipes for proper cactus and succulent growing medium. Good luck!

Nancy

Howdy!
Crassula *argentea* is an old name, now considered a synonym for Crassula ovata.
Often, nurseries will call the 'compact' form argentea, but even then it should be
called Crassula ovata v. minor. You're right, though...doesn't change anything ;)

I agree wtih Jeffrey. The lizard won't mind the Jade, but the Jade won't be happy in the tank.


Josh

Hi Riely,

I have no idea what a bearded dragon is (some kind of small lizard?), but do you know anyone else who has one? What about the store where you bought it? Either of those might be sources of other hobbyiest like yourself of whom you could ask what plants they keep in the tank w/ their creature.

Assuming you care for your pet, why not go ask folks who are already in this area? Seems to me that hit & miss attempts at what may or may not grow well w/ the tank aren't the best ways to go when involving a pet.

Buy a fake cactus, as in a replica. Isn't there an industry that provides items for decorative purposes for aquariums and terrariums and the like? Just a thought.
What is the bearded dragon's name? Spike? Harry? Okay, I'll stop now.

Well, I know more about Bearded Dragons than the average person, and have owned some over the years... I personally do NOT like sand as a substrate for these lizards (or any lizards except perhaps lizards specially evolved to live in sand, which these are not)- sand is too easily ingested while feeding and sand is not digestible. Bearded dragons like to burrow... can't burrow in sand.. best to use garden soil with a lot of clay in it, if you want to have both your lizard be able to burrow, and your jade to have something to grow in.. however, you can also keep plants in pots and bury the pots in sand- I often recommend this for outdoor 'play' and 'sunning' enclosures for bearded dragons (but bring them back in at night). Potted greenery, particularly leafy dark greens are an important part of a bearded dragon's diet anyway (most adults should be eating over 50% greens and less than 50% insects). Bearded dragons have a particular need for intense UV light- as a jade would like, too. The only thing that would perhaps not be good for a jade is the intense heat a bearded dragon should be exposed to at least in part of its enclosure (over 100F). Jade can easily tolerate dry conditions, but a potted plant might be stressed and damaged by a heat lamp.... so plant it at the other end of the tank (the bigger and taller the tank the better)... you have to understand the lizard will want to climb on the jade for safety and to 'sun' itself... so be sure there is a lid or he will jump out from his new perch.

And there you have it - Landscaping for your BD and Suitable Plants for Your BD's Home. Brought to you by GW.

Deep Roots,

Are you here all week? I nearly had a spraying moment, because I appreciate corn.

Geoff,

So Swiss chard is good for the dragon? What else do they eat? I'm guessing they're not entirely herbivores...(I thought the only herbivorous lizard was the seaweed-eating Galapagos one).

our beardies love swiss chard, spinach, kale, mixed greens, squash, apples, bananas, grapes, blackberries, etc. though given their druthers they'd druther have bugs.
I do not keep plants in with ours, they just eat them, climb on them or break them to little pieces.
Never thought of an outside play area for mine, we just let them run around the house, supervised of course. They will have a blast this summer!
Good luck with your beardie.
Tally HO!

Nancy,
That makes sense. Thanks. And a jade cactus is a cactus that lacks spines.

Josh,
Thanks for the clarification.

Pirate Girl,
Bearded Dragons get to be just over two feet long, they're a desert lizard originally from Australia. I bought mine from a breeder across the country because pet stores don't handle them properly or provide up-to-par nutrition, so I can assure you: I do what I can to get things right. I checked all over the internet for a good cactus/succulent that he could eat and climb on and found the jade cactus (which I assure you is a real thing) and the lady at Home Depot gave me a jade plant. At the time, I was unaware of the fact that they are different plants. So now I don't know how to care for this plant (minus the lizard situation). In any event, thanks for the input.

Deep Roots,
I have wood and such for Paco (since you were wondering) to climb on, and yes, I could buy a fake plant to go with the fake desert conditions, but, you see, I was looking for something that he could also eat (to make his environment a little more...real, if you will).

lzrddr,
When I find a suitable plant, it will definitely stay in a pot. I use alfalfa pellets as substrate because they kill the smell if he poops, there aren't any consequences if he eats them, he can still dig, and they don't raise the humidity. I have a lid to keep him in and my other animals out, the trouble is finding a cactus without spines (which is the jade cactus) for him to climb on and eat because where I live is winter ten months out of the year.

beachplant,
It sounds like your beardies get quite the feast. I was hoping to find a plant he wouldn't annihilate to keep him busy during the winter and so he could "discover" his own food rather than just eating from his bowl.

cactusmcharris,
Bearded dragons eat a lot of plants (darker greens are generally best) and a lot of insects. They basically will eat any small moving creature you put in front of them, but that isn't very safe. Some people give them pinky mice as treats. Nightcrawlers, earthworms, and crickets are generally their main soures of protein in captivity. Babies eat more protein than vegetables whereas adults eat more vegetables than protein, but they are still omnivorous. And, though bearded dragons aren't herbivorous, there are many herbivorous lizards other than the one from the Galopagos, such as the Chuckwalla, and certain types of iguanas and plated lizards.

Lengthy reply, sorry

No problem about the lengthy reply, it's most informative.

Paco Lizuardo - I like it!

However, there simply is no jade cactus. It's much like looking for dry ocean.

I didn't know that about beardies - they're certainly a lot less frightening than having a Komodo dragon cruising around.

there are indeed a number of herbivorous lizards- desert iguanas here in California, Green Iguanas (the most commonly seen iquanas in captivity) and most other iguanas are at least partially vegetarian, prehensile tailed skinks etc.

cactusmcharris,
Wow..I spent who knows how much time a long time ago reading about a "jade cactus"...there were even other bearded dragons owners claiming to have them, so just now I went looking again (wondering if maybe I was crazy) and I couldn't find anything about a jade cactus. Ha, thank you very, very much for bringing me back to reality.
And yes, beardies are much less frightening than the venomous komodo dragon, which, I might add, get to be more than twelve feet in length and a capable of killing water buffalo. Very intimidating.

My apologies to anyone who may have believed me on the jade cactus...my mistake.

My beardie, Izzy taking a snooze...she passed away this summer at the age of 10 ;-(.

{{gwi:477397}}

I kept her in a tank with a reptile carpet due to concerns about impaction. Also, only fake plants...

She was very cool.

Tom

Hey, I appreciate the lengthy reply, too.

Do you think this obscure "Jade cactus" could have been a Portulacaria afra,
also known as the "Elephant's Bush" (and sometimes "Elephant's Food Bush")?
The true Jade, Crassula Ovata, and the Portulacaria afra are reportedly browsed by tortoises.


Josh

Great pic, Tom...
Sorry such a bright lizard is gone.
How long do they typically live?


Josh

Riely,

That's what we're here for - kind of like the cactus and succulent version of proving the earth isn't flat.....

Tom,

Great shot of Izzy. If she's like your plants, she had a good home for many years.

'Jades are Crassula, and not cactus at all,
All cacti are succulents. If you put a living plant in there is will need good drainage, air circulation,sun, some food at least once a year, just transplant it into fresh mix. with 10% organic matter, the rest inorganic,
sand compacts and doesn't let the air in the mix, which is important. I think the lizard would love to eat it. My friends grows theirs in a open pen that they can't get out of in the open on the ground. They live in the high desert. They may bring them into the green house during the winter. Crassula need a cool evening. 90 F and 70F night time temps. as an example. your plant will also need a cool winter. No heat. Little if any summer moisture including high humidy. I've grown these plant since I was a child, and the plant that you are calling 'Agentea' does have the smallest leaves, yet is just a variety of C. Ovata. Some are bush some not depending on how you trim it. Leaves have noting to do with it, it's flowers, bark, nodes etc.

Norma

Tom,
I'm sorry to hear about Izzy, she looks great in the picture. 10 is a ripe age for beardies, you must have been pretty good to her :) I would put up a picture of mine, but I don't know how.
And are you saying that real plants might put beardies at risk for impaction?

Josh,
It may have been the Elephant Bush for all I know, but that wasn't what they were calling it... Mystery unsolved haha

cactusmcharris,
The earth isn't flat?! Why don't you just crush the rest of my dreams while you're at it.. :)

Norma,
Thanks for the input.

riely -

Nope, not the plants for impaction...though beardies (as omnivores) could nibble a plant that they shouldn't, I suppose. I had read that sand as a substrate posed that possible threat for beardies. Hence, I only used reptile carpet. Pretty easy to clean, too.

Tom

Tom,
Yeah, I was hoping that was what you meant. I don't use sand either, I use alfalfa pellets so he can still dig, it's easy to clean, it smells nice, and not risk for impaction.

I dont mean to bring up this old thing but ... this really annoyed me ... brody james said see any cacti in the sahara ... well of coarse not ... its africa ... no cacti native there ... therefore that statement is invalid ... i put crassulas, echeveria, an aloe, and a ponytail palm in my beardies cage ... havent nad any problems for 2 years so far