Jade plant leaves turning black is often a cause for concern as this is not supposed to happen normally as I’m sure you already know.
After all, these succulents are supposed to be glowing green under normal conditions, so if your Jade Plant leaves are turning black then you need to take a look at these potential causes.
Your Jade Plant is heat stressed
One of the more simple explanations as to why your Jade plants leaves have turned black could be as simple as your succulent just getting burnt from the sun.
Too much direct sunlight or extreme temperatures will leave your Jade in danger of getting burnt or stressed in general from this light and heat.
If growing outdoors you should consider using some shade cloths during heat waves or if the succulent is in a spot where it’s getting too much full sun.
Or you could just make some room in your house to accompany your Jade.
Don’t forget to keep good lighting inside or use a quality grow light for optimal lighting without risking sunburn.
Doing either of these things will allow your Jade plant to recover from the damage and prevent it from recurring.
Your Jade plant roots are rotted
If you notice your Jade plant leaves are turning black and then shriveling up and falling off then the issue may be from rotted roots, commonly from your plant being overwatered.
Standing water for too long or just overwatering in general will easily cause your Jade plants roots to become rotted if not noticed promptly.
This can also cause your Jade plant leaves to curl along with a ton of other problems so you really want to prevent rot from occurring.
You will be able to tell that the roots have rot if you move the soil and see the roots have also turned dark or have an odor to them.
If this has happend then you will have to act quickly to save your Jade by finding any healthy stem you can and then working on transplanting it.
This of course is if all of the roots are rotted, if the roots are brown and soft then they are no good and need to be removed completely.
You want white and firm roots to remain attached to your jade and then replant the succulent when all of the other damaged roots are gone.
Next time try to only water your Jade when the soil has become bone dry and consider using a mix of cactus and succulent soil that also involves some perlite to get that quality drainage going.
Sometimes soil that is poor or too sandy will retain water for longer than optimal and can lead to rot even though you aren’t actually overwatering.
Your Jade Plant has Fungai
A less common reason why your Jade plant is turning black could be due to a fungal disease.
This is more common if your Jade plant is being grown in an area that has high humidity which is grounds for fungal infections to grow more readily than in more dry locations.
To have a better idea if this is from fungus or not, you will notice black spots more so than the leaves themselves turning black.
If you think this could be the case for your Jade then you will need to treat this succulent with some fungicide and keep the plant away from other plants.
Also make sure to disinfect anything that comes into contact with your Jade, especially your pruners.
Pests causing Jade to turn black
Lastly, Pests can have a real impact on the color and health of your Jade plant leaves so you will need to keep an eye out for pests such as Spider mites, mealy bugs and aphids.
These insects can feed on the leaves of your jade and also carry viruses with them that will most certainly ruin the green appearance of your jade.
You will most likely notice white spots on a Jade plant before the leaves will turn black just so you know.
To get rid of these pests, you should clean the leaves of your jade with some alcohol and water or even just water in some cases.
A cotton swab will work wonders at removing these insects and allow you to get back to growing a healthy Jade.
No other treatment is really necessary if you just have some cotton swaps on hand as well as some water.
If all else fails, you can always use some high quality neem oil to get rid of these pests for good. Just make sure to use it weekly until the pests are all gone.