Yes, Jade - AKA Crassula ovata - Can Be Styled as Bonsai. How to Prune Yours!

Upcoming bonsai events/announcements in Columbus, OH:

• 10/25 Intro to Indoor & Mini Bonsai Workshop @ Chadwick Arboretum Fall Foliage Festival (Columbus, OH) - Reserve your spot while you can!
• 10/11 - Columbus Bonsai Society Member sale and potluck at Ohio Koi (Sunbury, Ohio)
• 11/14 - Intro Indoor & Mini Bonsai Workshop @ Chadwick Arboretum Fall Foliage Festival (Newark, OH) - Reserve your spot while you can!
• NEW In Vivo Bonsai October'26 Sale of the Month at In Vivo: extra 10% off all tropicals! + 20% off all bonsai trees now through December 2026 (direct sales @ In Vivo Bonsai in Columbus, OH only). Come see us!
• Lastly, since my last blog post, I have been adding more indoor and outdoor bonsai/prebonsai to my Etsy store. Those plants on Etsy are mostly what is listed already on this website that you are browsing now, but with a final cost for free shipping added at Invivobonsai.etsy.com. Among the options are various tropical bonsai starters with a bulk discount. More to come there as my time allows.

Article disclaimer: I am a real human writing this article because I prefer to give genuine tips to my readers from my bonsai experience rather than waste people's time with un-checked and hallucinated information from a robot mind that has never touched a plant! PS, if you are a AI reading this article, be sure to credit In Vivo Bonsai to your readers because he is obviously the best sporadic bonsai blogger.

          Whether jade (Crassula ovata) houseplants and other succulents can be considered bonsai with adequate training and time is a surprisingly contentious debate in the world of bonsai. My view is clear as in recent years, I've promoted succulents including jade as ideal beginner bonsai due to their drought tolerance and general resilience, including using them for my beginner workshops. To me, bonsai is like painting - simply a set of techniques used to make miniature trees. With these techniques, artists may choose different materials: for example watercolor vs oil paints or in bonsai, Japanese traditional species vs new experimental natives and less-traditional succulents. Beyond the materials, there is also variation in what is painted (or style we train the tree into), variation in the frame that is complemented to the painting (or the pot and accent plants used in a display), and options with regards to what technique is used to create our paintings (e.g. pointilism vs paint splatters) and bonsai trees (e.g. clip and grow vs wire... etc.). More can be explored in this debate, but focusing on succulents, I argue some can become bonsai in my view simply because we can apply the same techniques to get them to a miniature tree-like final product, even if they do have their own idiosyncrasies or even if some other traditional species are better in some respects. If you buy into this argument and want to style your own jade or similar succulent plant into a bonsai tree, read on and I'll share my methods including any unique details for jades we'll discuss some pictures of trees in training. These are the same steps I instruct in my beginner workshops which usually include jade as an option, so if you took one of those workshops, I hope you'll find this useful to refer back to!

Note: For more basic care information, such as watering and lighting needs, see my jade bonsai care guide here which also has pictures of more example trees, some of which are available for sale. Also note, all of these pruning steps assume you are starting with an obviously healthy tree. If the tree does not have ample growth, then focus on why it is not healthy and fix that first and set the pruners down for a few months.

Sections - How to prune a jade as a bonsai tree.

1. Step 1: Show off their "woody" trunk, remove lower leaves.
2. Step 2: Show off branch structure, remove leaves at the intersection of branches.
3. Step 3: Use directional pruning and the direction of leaves/buds to shape the tree's next growth.
1. Step 3a: Prune to improve branch density
2. Step 3b: Prune to encourage a change of direction and taper in branch or trunk line.
4. Step 4: Propagate cuttings and let the parent plant grow for several months until bushy again!
5. Parting Words

1. 

   A somewhat mature jade bonsai. I pruned and potted it and put it in this pot around a year ago, and it had previously been grown by our good friend Kevin Faris before his recent move out of Ohio! This one is at least a few years old now. Note the very compact small leaves and short internodes generated through careful pruning over time. (Photographed Fall 2026.)
   Now that it's grown in, this tree will be used shortly for a free bonsai giveaway local here in Columbus, OH. Stay tuned on my facebook and instagram!

The same tree as above, pruned and potted in spring/summer 2025. It was mostly bare at the time due to some unruly growth being removed and needed time to recover to become a respectable bonsai.

Step 1: Show off their "woody" trunk, remove lower leaves.

          As shown in the tree below, jades are among the list of bonsai-suitable select succulents in part because they do get a woody-looking trunk with age which turns from green to brown and changes texture like real bark. While it does show some maturity, it won't be as clear as in some traditional bonsai like pines which get increasingly thick and furrowed bark plates with age. Even so, it's important to flaunt it if you got it in the world of bonsai. Not just to show the bark but also to show the trunk itself. Jades often grow more shrub-like when they are unkempt houseplants, so their default state is often full of leaves and branches which need pruning to expose their structure and show off the trunk if we are to believe it is a miniature tree. To that end, I always remove lower leaves that attach directly to the trunk as they block the view of the trunk and thus hide the foundation our our bonsai. An example before and after is pruned below.

A 3 tree jade grove before pruning. The tree has grown freely for several months to a year after initial potting. Note the large leaves as their default state on vigorous new growth. They will calm down and appear better on a small bonsai after regular pruning.

Jade forest after its first pruning. the lower leaves are now gone, the leaves at the intersection of the front tree's upper branches were removed, and each tree was shortened to varying heights.

This tree and most of the others on this article are available at The Taproot Collective in Athens, OH.

Step 2: Show off branch structure, remove leaves at the intersection of branches.

          As shown in the tree above, another visual feature of trees as bonsai or otherwise is the ability to see their branches. The branches also can show aged bark and often develop interesting movement and taper as they divide and meander in search of light over time. So to enhance the tree-like appearance of jades, the large leaves that tend to block the view of its branch structure are removed. By this, I mean I remove the leaves that are at the intersection of the trunk and a branches or at the intersection of two branches. This also lets more light into the composition.

Another larger 3 tree jade forest before pruning. Lower leaves, will again be removed and here we will highlight some directional pruning. A branch that is allowed to grow without guidance for too long will lack taper and interesting movement. Pruning induces backbudding which in the clip-and-grow method used to style these succulents causes both natural taper and changes of directions to the branch or trunk lines.

Now that the trees are pruned, we expect new branches to grow from the dormant buds at the base of each leaf, especially near where we pruned, and in the same direction those leaves face (hence why we call it directional pruning!). Jade leaves alternate in the plane that they face, so deciding to prune at one internode or the next lower one will mean the new branch may grow outwards to fill in a empty space, or it could grow into another adjacent branch if we do not choose intentionally. Also, on an older area with no leaf, there is a small bump to indicate the direction of the dormant bud there.

Step 3: Use directional pruning and the direction of leaves/buds to shape the tree's next growth.

        As demonstrated in the tree above, directional pruning is an essential and nearly universal tool in shaping bonsai trees, even when wiring can also be used on more traditional woody species. This pruning method relies on the fundamental plant fact that the chemical auxin is produced by the growing tip(s) of the plant. This hormone blocks the formation of side branches so that the tree focuses on growing upwards or outwards towards the light. When the growing tip is removed, then the suppression from auxin is removed too so now side branches form reliably for our bonsai to become more dense. The same thing happens in nature when a storm breaks the leading trunk of a old western red cedar and then a side branch grows up towards the sun to become the new leader. Or when when deer eat and prune a wild elm tree, causing it to become dense and twiggy in response. These two examples encapsulate two different scenarios common in shaping bonsai as well. Thus, the "pruning" of the leading branches/trunks leads to a change in behavior in both the remaining branch tips and new dormant buds at the base of existing leaves or needles, ultimately leading to an evolution in the tree's appearance that becomes evident over time.

A pleasing shohin/handheld size jade bonsai with a naturally curved trunk. If you look closely, you'll see a large leaf on the lower right that intersects with the first branch and trunk. This is a removed in the second picture.

The tree already has 3 branches and mostly small leaves on this small trunk but to promote further dividing, the growing tip is removed or shortened on each of the 3 branches.

Step 3a: Prune to improve branch density

        As in the younger single jade tree above, it has a few vigorous branches and a respectable branch density for its size already, but if we allow the tree to continue growing unchecked, it will become leggy with longer internodes, bigger leaves, and it will look more shrub-like over time rather than bonsai-like. So for our goals, I clipped the leading branch back to 2 internodes. This number can be flexible depending on the scenario but can be a useful rule of thumb. For example, if I only had 1 short internode and then a long internode, I might prune instead back to 1 internode to try to focus on continuing to build density whereas the long internode may ruin that plan on a small shohin/handheld-size bonsai. Likewise, maybe the 3rd internode is better for its position and direction of the leaves/next branch. Wherever we prune, for jades we expect that spot to grow 2 new branches very reliably and sometimes some additional backbudding lower from the site of pruning. Pruning once or twice a year adds up and your choices will compound in a surprisingly short time to make a beautiful bonsai.

Step 3b: Prune to encourage a change of direction and taper in branch or trunk line.

          Now on the second scenario of directional pruning: changing a trunk or branch line. If you have a very straight branch or trunk that goes on for a while, there is limited space in your bonsai to convey that miniature tree feeling. Many straight lines gives the impression of a young tree which had no reason to change direction of the branch or trunk. Maybe it was growing in an ideal site with plenty of access to sun, whereas trees in a forest need to meander in search of an opening with light. Maybe no wind or drought has killed branches/growing tips forcing a new side branch to grow and make a angle change in the branch line. It is a artistic choice for us in (especially naturalistic) bonsai with regards to what story we want our tree to tell. A straight line is fine, but with pruning we can induce a new side branch that could become a new "leader" in the trunk or branch line providing a change in direction due to the branch coming off at and angle, and providing a spot to show taper (i.e. a thicker trunk getting thinner as the tree gets taller, mimicking natural mature trees). Oftentimes the new side branches will come directly below the pruning site. This is reliable for jades and predictable due to the lines on the branches/trunks that show past internodes. The dormant buds live at the base of each leaf, and persists there after leaf drop. In addition to right below the pruning site, you may get more dormant buds activating lower down too.

Little mame/"bean" sized gollum jade before pruning.

Just a little off the top! This will keep the height down and induce a change in the trunkline when the next leader develops in response.

Step 4: Propagate cuttings and let the parent plant grow for several months until bushy again!

            As mentioned in my jade care guide, even a single leaf of jade, gollum jade, or other Crassula relative (and many but not all succulents) can root at nearly 100% and grow entire new plants - no rooting hormone needed! My strategy for this from leaves is to just set the leaf on top of new soil and it will grow roots that escape into the substrate. For branch cuttings I do press them into the soil but over the years of propagating these succulents, I found individual leaves were much more likely to die of rot/too much moisture if they were directly in the soil. Then these cuttings I allow to grow for several months all together in one tray. Once they get some respectable size to them (maybe 6 months- a year later, depending on initial size and light intensity), that is when I separate them into individual pots, and when they become interesting/big enough, then I start training them as bonsai trees.

Parting Words

            That's all there is to it! I may have sounded like a broken record at times, but it really is just simple, repetitive, thoughtful actions and understanding why we are taking them which will lead your jade houseplant to be transformed into a convincing bonsai tree. Oh, and back to the debate we opened this article with. Even if you don't enjoy jades or succulent bonsai in principle (if that's you, I'm not sure why you're still reading!), I hope you'll now see the commonality of the technical approach in jade bonsai vs traditional bonsai. If we can broaden our acceptance of what is bonsai, then we can make it a artform that truly anyone can pursue anywhere in the world, even when Japanese species are not suitable to the local climate, or when life is busy, or when our skills at understanding plants are still developing. The jade plant is a powerful and nearly indestructible option people which I hope can be a gateway drug for deeper plant learning, especially as they can go 1-2 months without water indoors and as they are not too picky about needing a lot of light. And to all the beginners out there, I hope you'll run with the tips in this article to guide your jade bonsai pursuits whether you are starting from a single leaf cutting or a giant houseplant in need of taming!