The jade plant, which some call the 'tree of happiness' or 'tree of friendship', is one of the easiest succulents to care for and best suited for first-time gardeners.Of African origin and ornamental foliage, rounded, quite common, the jade plant — popular name of Crassula ovata — is often confused with other species such as clusia, native to Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, also called 'beach mangrove'. .According to biologist and florist Bruno Flor*, it is a plant that easily adapts to environments in partial shade or with direct sunlight.“It can be in full sun or partial shade.Never in a very dark place.When we talk about partial shade, it is when the plant receives a few hours of direct sunlight, but, throughout the day, it is in a well-lit place”, explains the specialist.It can thus be kept in gardens, balconies or at home, near windows and doors.Also read Environment Bonsai: see meaning, how to care for and types Environment Peperômia: know the types, care and see how to growIt is a 'jade-green' plant with ornamental foliage and flowering.Its appearance is thick, viscous and rounded.It can grow a lot.Planted in small pots, it resembles small shrubs.According to Bruno Flor, jade is a “very easy to care for” plant, especially due to its ability to adapt to light and little need for watering.Caption: The jade plant's waterings are spaced.photo: Shutterstock“As it is a succulent, its need for water may vary according to the place of cultivation, but the frequency of watering is more spaced”, guides the florist.Some professionals recommend weekly watering.The ideal is to keep checking the conditions of the soil.Due to the ease of cultivation and the plant's own resistance, Flor guarantees that the species is one of the most suitable for those who are starting to garden.Jade plants like to be in partial shade or out in the sun.“Never in a very dark place”, as Flor recalled at the beginning of this article.This means that the most suitable environments for growing this succulent are bright spaces with good air circulation, such as gardens, balconies, windowsills and close to doors.It's pretty easy.You can, for example, carefully prune a stake from the plant — that is, remove a stem from it, just below the leaves — and place it in a pot with well-draining substrate.Caption: Ideal to prune below the leaves, to have space to plant the stake in the ground.photo: ShutterstockIt is recommended that the pot be made of clay or terracotta, with a well-drained substrate to avoid the accumulation of water, since it is a plant that already stores a lot in itself.Watering is spaced, at least once a week, observing the need of the soil.Biologist Bruno Flor recalls that the jade plant usually blooms in winter and spring.However, it needs to be “well cared for and fertilized” to release flowers.“Usually, when the plant is adult and very large, flowering happens more easily”, guides the specialist.According to him, the flowers are usually white or pink and in the form of an inflorescence, that is, small branches with a set of even smaller flowers.The jade plant looks good indoors and outdoors.Outside, it can, for example, look good as small shrubs or compose scenarios with other succulents and even with cacti and mandacarus.Legend: The jade plant can also be used to compose the scenery with other species.photo: ShutterstockYou can also beautify the space in large vases, with cachepos.Caption: The jade plant can be planted in large pots, resembling a tree.photo: ShutterstockIndoors, it can be placed on windowsills, next to doors or on top of tables and shelves.Caption: Window sills are ideal places to grow jade plants.photo: ShutterstockJardim do Seu Flor Address: Rua Padre Valdevino, 1265 Opening hours: Tuesday to Friday, from 12 pm to 6 pm, and on Saturdays, from 9 am to 1 pm Mercado das Flores Address: Avenida Pontes Vieira, 417 Opening hours: Tuesday to Friday from 9 am to 5 pm and Saturdays and Sundays from 9 am to 1 pmThere is also an exotic plant that, although it is called 'jade creeper', bears little resemblance to Crassula ovata.The 'jade creeper', possibly originating in Asian countries, has flowers that appear in long clusters and its petals are shaped like “claws”.Caption: The jade creeper is another species of plant.photo: ShutterstockThis species, which can be over ten meters tall, shines in a specific way when in direct contact with the sun, resembling the appearance of a gemstone, in fact.Its flowers can be blue-green, like jades, or in shades of white, red, yellow and orange.There is also an even rarer type, purple, called “black jade”.*Bruno Flor is a biologist, florist and owner of Jardim do Seu Flor, in Fortaleza.