marguerite

yes, I lost my Crassula ovata variegata :( I have the other Crassula ovata variegata and Hummel's Sunset variegata, but no such as shown above.

Oksana, can it be caused by light conditions? Also your Hummel's Sunset Variegata looks different than mine.

Last year (in December) I bought from US one cutting of ovata variegata, but still getting trouble to have some roots. Two weeks ago I have changed the conditions and I am going to be optimistic.

Martin
look on stem of Nancy's ovata and compare with stem of mine.

I am confused by all the variegated Crassulae ovatae, I confess it again. I have just learned to differentiate between the ovate and the oblique forms of Crassula ovata. Really many of the variegated plants are similar. Then when you consider that on one plant, leaves can bear different kinds of variegation, and that even some of the plants which are the subject of this discussion, i.e. variegates with the 'Akai' label, look a bit different, the confusion grows. With variegated jades several similar-looking plants bear different names, and different-looking plants bear the same name, as evidenced by Oksana having had three different Crassulae ovatae varigatae. Add to that the different commercial names put on Crassula ovata types, as with my 'Hummel's Ghost' which people here felt was a variegated 'Hummel's Sunset', if I recall rightly, the confusion gets worse.

The main variegated jade I always recognise is the variegated oblique Crassula ovata known as Tricolor. I also generally recognise Hummel's Sunset, even though the amounts of yellow and red vary, It would be interesting to see all the other variegates side by side and labelled, to clarify the differences, but then, I don't suppose one person has all the different types.

The confusion even occurs, as we saw with an earlier post of Martin's re. his new variegated Crassula arborescens, between different species of crassula.

So between names, photography and as Martin throws in, light conditions, are these all distinct types?

Marguerite, I can add my touch to the confusion : in my country Hummel's Sunset and Red Horn Tree are not considered as variegations while they are variegations in certain other countries lol

I learned a lot from Ben's pictures:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/53768040@N02/

I was also confused before, but from his photogallery I learned a lot.

Well, I noticed that, Laurent. I never thought of Hummel's Sunset as a variegate. I wonder if the presence of white/yellow and green alone is what we think of as variegation.

Oksana,

the Solana is amazing. I have one from Ben but with weak variegation, buy yours is absolutelly perfect.

Martin

Martin, thank you very much for that link to Ben's photos. I thought I had the difference between Crassula ovata and Crassula ovata ssp obliqua sorted, but on line 15 of Ben's plants, right beside the pic of some plants all together, is one labelled Crassula ovata variegata which by its pointed leaves I would have thought of as being 'obliqua'.

Laurent
If variegation is regarded as a breaking of the chlorophyll formation, these cultivars (Hummel's Sunset and Red Horn Tree) are variegates.

Martin

thank you! Solana is the single Russian cultivar, so mine is to be perfect :)

but I couldn't root American Ovata variegata (Mrs. Ippi) :(

I love Jades and have a few different types, which are doing well in their 3/4-year outdoor life here in the warm southwest, and read this thread a few days ago, curious about this variety (if it even is a different one). Today at my local BBS, I found this on the clearance shelf for only $1 (it had been uprooted and was just sitting in its pot with very little soil; a little rough but I think it's going to make it) so picked it up. I love EVERYTHING variegated, from my orchids to my hoya to my succulents to random houseplants, so I definitely find it attractive, no matter what these end up being. I'm including the label for those of you interested in these oddly identified plants.

I just realised, that 'Akai' jade is more or less the same as my 'Hummel's Ghost' I bought a month or so back from Cactus UK.

Do you have a picture Marguerite? I know you've posted it before but it's hard to find on my phone!

-Erica

Sure, Erica. This is the photo I posted a couple of months ago. I will have to get a new one for you in a day or so, because it is a lot less colourful now. Now, with the loss of the very bright yellow, it looks very like the 'Akai' jade to me.

It does look a lot like the 'Akai' that stonetreehouse posted without the yellow. The ones Joe posted though just look like Tricolor jades with little or no red and a lot of variegation.

-Erica

The Akai leaves look thinner to me than the Ovata variegated leaves which seems to look shorter and thicker (rounder).

Leaf shape is dramatically affected by growing conditions, and thus is not a reliable or stable indicator of different cultivars within Jade groups. Obviously it's easy to discern between the standard ovata and the obliqua form, but even two compact Jades grown in different environments can have larger/smaller leaves, or more rounded/pointed leaves.

Josh

Now that really complicates things, Josh. I wonder will I ever get the hang of this i.d. ing jades business.

I agree with Josh. You often see different leaf shapes on different parts of the same plant. Same thing with variegation, it is also very variable.

Christopher.

went to lowe's and saw this 'akai' jade (aka Crassula Ovata 'Variegata'). I do not know why I have to bring it back as I already have one. Compare to the one I got from Homedepot. (pic see the first post of this thread), there is no plant that with all yellow leaves. here is the plant (already re-potted) and its label.

Since we are here, do you think this is 'Hummel's Sunset'? I got it last year from HD. It totally changed. Maybe it is not 'Hummel's Sunset' at all? or maybe it is because my growing condition? I saw another 'Hummel's sunset' when I was in lowe's. And I have to bring it back too. It is exactly like this one when I bought it last year. the leaves are half yellow half green. What do you think?

'Hummel's Sunset' after one year under my care in 6B.

'Hummel's Sunset I just got from Lowes.

No idea on confirming ID but I just wanted to add that your new plants look identical to same-labled plants at my local BBSs, WM, HD, and Lowes. So, whatever they are, looks like they are consistently labeled. Good luck with your new plants. I'll post updates of my new jades later in the summer. It will be interesting to note their changes, differences, and similarities.

Yes, they are 'Hummel's Sunset' Jades.

Josh

Thank you josh for the id. they are so different only because the growing conditions? Wondering how I can get them more colorful? I also notice the one that I had for one year has the red edge on the leaves that the one I just bought does not have. How to grow them so there are more yellow color?

It's almost entirely due to the intensity of the sun...along with moisture levels, difference in night versus day temperature, et cetera. With more sun comes more yellow. But beware, it is easy to burn the leaves.

Josh

Thank you again. It is in full sun now (well, 6b full sun anyway) and it did get sun burn as you can see in the pic. I was not patient enough to acclimate it from indoor to full sun.

These are my 'akai' jades after 2 years. Do you still have yours? Can you show us what yours look like now? It will be fun to see how they turn into under different growing environments. Thanks

the one that started this post

this is the one I got from lowe's a couple weeks later the same year, almost no variegation from this pic, but they are there

And my hummel's sunset, no yellow at all

I have several pots of 'Akai', I will get pics during the next few days. They vary with the amount of variegation too!

I was about to say, Nancy, that I now believe that Akai jade and Hummel's Ghost' aka variegated 'Hummel's Sunset' are the same plant, but I will wait until you post before I finally give that as an opinion, and as you have both, your comment about this would be very interesting. I haven't got Akai jade but to me from the photographs it is the same as my 'Hummel's Ghost'.

Rockdale, so great to see your Akai's a couple years later. Your first Akai, reminds me of my pot #1. The Akai's definitely seem to vary in the amount of variegation and albino leaves.

Margaret, at this time I do not believe they are the same. The yellow is much more subtle on the Akai's and when they blush it's been pink on the edge of the leaf. The Hummel's Ghost you sent me has had much more intense colors.

Pot #1 . My favorite pot of 'Akai' has had the most albino leaves, it lost a few of them a couple months ago and then I repotted it. (It used to be in a square emerald green pot)

Pot #2

Pot #3

A section with more albino...

-Nancy

My jades are looking pretty sad right now. After being behind hurricane shutters for 5 days - hot, dark, humid - they have been droopy and chlorotic. Some have edema, much more than I have seen in the past.

Here's my Akai jades now. Pretty pale.

And you can see edema on this one, especially behind the white leaves.

Thanks for showing us your 'akai' jades, Nancy and crenda. Nancy, I like your pot #1 too, the leaves are so round and small. Do you notice they lost the red color on yours too? Here goes the akai part :)

crenda, yours look washed. Do you grow them in full Florida sun. Very light green compare to mine.

Margaret, I do not think they are Hummel ghost either, they lack the pink color that Hummel ghost has and even they have the pink they are most on the edge not striped in the middle of the leaf like Hummel ghost does.

My plants do stay out in the sun all year, but they get some shade at different times of day depending on where I put them. The big problem is summer. They get too much rain and this year was way more than usual - 69 inches of rain from June through Sept. - which answers the question of why I use a very gritty mix. LOL

I've had to bring them under the lanai for much of the summer. They will look much better when it is cooler and dryer. I'll try to remember to get a picture then! This picture is from early last summer with more vivid colors still showing.

These Akai jade which I haven't seen any at any big box store for the last 2 years might of been relabelled possibly to Lemon and Lime. I purchased a Lemon and Lime earlier in the summer and looks very similar to all the pics of when everywhere first purchase their Akai jade. Same variegation and size of leaves and leaves shape.

Anyone who owns both Akai and Lemon and Lime. Can you see any differences?

I got this little guy a while back....i think he's a jade but I don't know what kind....he kinda,looks like the akai jade though. He gets pink around the edges sometimes also. Anyone able to id him? Thanks :)

Reading all the above posts, particularly Nancy's, Rockdale's and Sam's, all I can say is that there are so many look-alike variegated jades that for me identification is very difficult. The distinctive ones for me include Tricolor, Solana, other centrally variegated clones and Mike's Mother jade; the ones I find hard to distinguish between are the different Crassula ovata variegata jades, including Hummel's Ghost, in my collection. The problem will be compounded for me next year because several variegated plants are growing from leaves not all of whose names I recorded - should be fun. I think that is the appeal of Mike's plant, the variegation is quite consistent, unusual for a variegated ovate jade.

Hi...

Sam, I own an Akai, Lemon & Lime, Tricolor, Variegated, and Hummel's Sunset Variegated (?Hummel’s Ghost?) and they are all very different. Here are my pics from this past Summer: you have to look at the shape of the leaves, the length of the leaves, the amount and shade of green, and the all white clusters to see the differences. It’s all confusing to me too and I’ve been collecting for about 9 years... hope that helps. BTW, eBay is still selling Akai, I just saw several this week, I find them beautiful!

mary

Very nice plants.

Aren't Tricolor (pic #1) and Variegated (pic #4) same plants? If not - what are the differences?

Thanks! Pic #1 has pink, and when you look at it in person, the amount of green is different too. Pic #4 has a tiny little bit of pink too, but not as much white/cream. Idk it’s all confusing to me too. Some sellers call the tricolor “Crassula Obliqua” and the Variegated “Crassula Ovata” they do look almost the same. The growth pattern is a little different too.

mary

Thank you. I see quite a bit of variegation on Tricolor, as you describe. I have few plants that all grew from cuttings of the same plant. Many have lots of pink/purplish color in good sunlight. Some plants have more white on leaves than others, and some have larger and rounder leaves. Here just few photos - I have posted many of these before, so apologize for repetition:

Original plant has been growing wider leaves lately - I don't know if that is because it is oldest? They are approx. 1.5" wide (see below):

Most of the leaves o all plants are narrower - approx. 1" at widest point (see below):

Beautiful Rina...!

Looking at Mary's and then Rina's jades, the only one that looks any way different to me is Hummel's Ghost. As we see with Rina's variegated jades, which all are cuttings from the same original plant, it is clear that most other variegated jades are basically just that, variegated Crassula ovata - even Tricolor can have some leaves more ovate than others; on all variegated jades, some leaves will be more oblique, some more ovate, and all types of leaves can appear on all variegated jades; hence I conclude they are basically all the same. Because I know that Hummel's Ghost is said to have been a sport on Hummel's Sunset, I do hold that as different. All are beautiful, anyway, when not blighted by those brown marks some clones carry. There are other jades which are obviously distinct cultivars, including Maruba Nishiki, Denethor, Solana, When you look at them and then look again at the various variegated jades, you can see the Tricolor, Akai etc. are too alike to be separate named varieties.

Mary

hi!

1, 4 are Tricolor as Rina wrote. 3, 5 are most probably Alba than Hummel's Ghost. Can you show the top leaves of the 2 more closely?

Oksana

Thanks Oksana! I only go by the names sellers put on them. I’ve never heard of “Alba” in all these years I’ve been collecting though, I’ll have to look it up... here’s 3 pics of the Lemon & Lime’s top leaves. If it weren’t for you asking for these pics I never would have noticed the Lemon & Lime has a small amount of mealy bugs... treated them right away... thanks for that!

Oops, I just realized you may have meant plants 3 and 5, not #2... hahaha!

Let me know if I sent the wrong pics...

Mary,

thank you!

2 is Alba too. The characteristic feature of the 'Alba' is that Ben wrote: "a typical sign is that the new variegated grows starts with lime green color and than when the leaves age over time gets yellow-white."

They can not be called Akai ("red" in Japanese), because they don't become red as 'Hummel's Ghost'

As well there is 'Lutea' - C. ovata variegata too. Its lime green leaves do not change color over time

Oksana

And Crassula ovata MEDIOVARIEGATA 'Mikaery Bijin'

Are you in US? Because I googled “Alba” and it does not exist. And to tell you the truth, 3 and 5 May look similar, but 2 is a totally different plant. I’ve had the plant for years, grown from a 2” cutting, and the leaves are still all Lemon Lime...

Mary

Just to let you know that Oksana is in Siberia (look at info next to her name) - so I am posting because she may not be back for hours. Oksana and Margaret know lots about different jades, and some other ppl here too. I would take their IDs and info as more reliable :)

In the meantime, look at this thread Oksana posted couple of years ago. And another thread with very good photos. There are more threads on this forum. And many beautiful jades out there...