Thanks for the tips zzini! Josh, can you explain screening? I assume that is to remove fine particles and thus improve drainage... but I may be way off. Norma, I was also hoping you'd stop by. I'm hanging onto every word you guys tell me. I'm aware of your experience, and would gleefully read a book all about your experiences raising jades. Write away! Do you lower the ratio of bark to decrease water retention? And to more accurately replicate their natural environment? I imagine for optimal growth, you can makeup for any lost macronutrients with fertilizer. I live in nearly the most northwest corner of the lower 48 (Bellingham, WA). There is plenty of granite here. My proximity to the ocean keeps it more temperate here than some nearby areas, as well. Does "pinch" simply mean "cut"? Always right above the growth nodes? Two last questions for you guys: What are the foliage signs that differentiate between overwatering and underwatering (with jades)? Especially relevant when purchasing plants. Also- as far as portulacaria afra soil mix, should that be the same? I was thinking more bark/organic material to increase water retention. What do you think? Thank you!! Gray

I thought I would share a photo for comparison. The plant on the left is Crassula obliqua (propeller jade) from HD in February. The center plant is Crosby's Compact, grown from a cutting from AmericanGolden (Josh, thanks!) and the ones in the back and right are an unnamed wavy and a Gollum jade. And I didn't forget the quarter for comparison! :-) My Crosby's Compact is is a much smaller pot and much younger than the other jades, but I thought you'd like a comparison of leaf shapes, colors and sizes. Of course, your plants will vary. Believe it or not, mine have been outside since early May, but I have many cloudy days - that pesky Lake Michigan does it again. Enjoy! Lennie in Grand Rapids, MI

I did see this at my Lowe's as well, though not marked down to $1. But it is not the same as the one I was looking to identify. I do agree that it is not the 'regular' Crassula ovata, and I was quite curious about it myself. Christopher

Thanks, Teatree! :-) Thanks, Sir Andrew, very interesting! By the way, it's good to see you at the Forum again. I bought the Silver Dollar Jade at a local nursery where they're always in stock. I selected the tallest specimen with the most branches, and then I promptly removed a branch. I rooted that cutting for a friend, and then I removed another branch and rooted it for myself. (I like to make duplicates of my plants for insurance purposes). I look forward to the day when my plant has a beautiful peeling golden trunk with new bits of pale green leaves emerging. The following two pics are from when I bought the Silver Dollar Jade (I apologize for the blurriness). And here's how the Silver Dollar looks now. You can see the old scars where I removed the other branches. And you can also see the two new branches growing from lower on the trunk. Since the new branches are growing in the direction I want, I can finally chop the head off this thing and bring it down to size. That top piece is going to make one hell of a cutting. Josh