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Wrinkled, shriveled leaves · Jade plant
Why are my jade plant leaves wrinkled or shriveled?
A jade plant stores water in its leaves, so wrinkled or shriveled leaves usually mean it has used up that store and needs a drink, most often in spring and summer when it is growing. Soak the soil, let it drain and water again whenever the soil is dry all the way down. If the soil is wet and the leaves are wrinkling and dropping anyway, the roots are likely rotting and you need to check them.
Check these first
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Push a finger or a wooden skewer to the bottom of the pot. Dry all the way down means thirst; damp or wet means look at the roots.
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Squeeze a wrinkled leaf gently. Thin and leathery but firm points to thirst; soft, mushy or translucent points to rot.
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Check the base of the stem. If it feels soft or looks dark and shrunken near the soil, rot has set in.
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Consider the season: from autumn to late winter the plant rests and needs very little water, so slight wrinkling then is less urgent than in spring or summer.
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Check the spot: a pot right by a radiator or moved suddenly into hot sun dries out much faster than usual.
Causes and fixes
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Underwatering while it is growing
How to tellLeaves look thin, dull and wrinkled, the soil is dry right through and the pot feels light, usually in spring or summer.
What to doWater slowly until it runs from the drainage hole, let it drain fully and empty the saucer. Then water whenever the soil has dried all the way down, which is roughly every two weeks while it grows. The leaves should plump up again over the following days.
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Root rot from overwatering
How to tellLeaves wrinkle, go soft or yellow and fall off easily while the soil is still damp; the stem may be soft at the base and the roots brown and mushy.
What to doStop watering and take the plant out of its pot. Cut away soft, dark roots, let the plant dry in the open for a few days and replant in dry cactus or succulent mix in a pot with a drainage hole. Hold off watering until the new roots have had time to settle, then water lightly. If the stem has rotted, take healthy stem cuttings and root them instead.
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Kept too dry during the winter rest
How to tellLeaves wrinkle slowly over winter in soil that has been bone dry for weeks.
What to doGive it a small drink, just enough to stop the shriveling, and keep it on the dry side until spring. Watering roughly once a month in autumn and winter is usually enough.
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Heat or sudden strong sun
How to tellScorched or brown patches appear mostly on the side facing a hot window, or after the plant was moved outdoors without getting used to the sun gradually. In a hot spot the soil also dries out faster, so the leaves may wrinkle from thirst.
What to doMove it away from radiators and heaters. Give it bright light with some afternoon shade in very hot rooms, and when moving it outside, increase its sun exposure gradually.
Stop it coming back
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Water thoroughly, then wait until the soil is dry all the way down before watering again.
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Cut watering back from autumn to late winter, giving only enough to keep the leaves firm.
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Grow it in a fast-draining cactus or succulent mix in a pot with a drainage hole.
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Never leave the pot standing in water.
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Keep it in strong light but away from radiators and cold glass.
When to worry
When to worry
An old leaf low on the stem shriveling and dropping now and then is normal as the plant ages, and thirsty, wrinkled leaves recover once watered. Worry when leaves keep wrinkling or falling in wet soil, or the stem turns soft and dark near the base. That is rot: unpot the plant, cut out everything soft and replant what is firm in dry cactus mix. If the main stem is mushy, save the plant by rooting healthy stem tips or single leaves, letting the cut ends dry for a few days first.
Care sheets
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Succulents & cacti Jade plant Crassula ovata Partial Sun Every 2 weeks -
Succulents & cacti Burro's tail Sedum morganianum Partial Sun Every 2 weeks -
Succulents & cacti String of pearls Curio rowleyanus Bright Indirect Every 2 weeks
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Succulents & cacti Christmas cactus Schlumbergera × buckleyi Bright Indirect Weekly