Jade Necklace (Crassula marnieriana)

If you like a small plant with tiny leaves that spill over the pot edge, the string of turtles with its patterned round leaves fits the same narrow shelf.

For a home with cats or dogs, the ponytail palm, listed by the ASPCA as non-toxic to cats and dogs, also likes bright light and dry soil between waterings.

If you want a trailing plant for a hanging pot, the string of hearts with its long vines of small heart-shaped leaves also lets its soil dry out between waterings.

It is Crassula rupestris subsp. marnieriana, often sold as Crassula marnieriana, a small succulent from South Africa. Its fleshy, rounded leaves grow in pairs stacked so tightly that they hide the stem, which gives it the necklace look.

Indoors it usually stays small, around 15 to 20 cm tall, with stems that spread and spill over the pot edge. In ideal conditions it can reach up to 50 cm tall and wide, but that takes 5 to 10 years.

Use a fast-draining cactus and succulent mix, or add perlite and grit to regular potting soil. Our guide to the best soil for succulents covers what to buy, and the pot must have a drainage hole.

Water when the soil is completely dry, then let the extra water drain out and never leave the pot sitting in water. During the heating season in Ontario and Quebec, water even less, since soggy soil in winter leads to stem rot. Wrinkled leaves are the sign it needs a drink.

Red leaf edges are a normal response to bright light or mild stress, such as a sunny window or a dry spell. The colour is temporary and fades if the plant gets a little less sun.

Treat it as toxic. The ASPCA does not list the jade necklace, but it lists its close relative, the common jade plant, as toxic to cats and dogs, with vomiting, depression and loss of coordination as the signs. Keep it on a high shelf or in a room your pets and small children can't get into.

Growth slows in winter because of short, dull Canadian days, and it picks up again in spring. Keep it in your brightest window, water only when the soil is fully dry, and keep it above 12°C (54°F), since frost kills it.

Pests tend to build up in winter, when the plant spends months indoors with the furnace running and the windows shut.

Mealybugs

Looks like: white cottony clumps tucked between the stacked leaves.

Fix: Dab each clump with a cotton swab dipped in rubbing alcohol.

Aphids

Looks like: clusters of tiny green or black insects on new growth.

Fix: Wipe them off with a cotton swab dipped in rubbing alcohol, or use an insecticidal soap labelled for houseplants.

Vine weevil

Looks like: cream C-shaped grubs in the soil and a plant that wilts for no clear reason.

Fix: Remove the plant, pick the grubs off the roots, and repot it in fresh cactus mix.

Keep any plant with pests away from your other plants until it is clean, and wear gloves when you handle it.