all that means is that piece of tissue is preparing to root just in case the opportunity arises (like it falls off due to excessive weight, a common problem in larger plants). Does not really mean anything else and you don't have to do anything about it. However, unhealthy plants dont' ususally send out aerial roots, so that is a good sign in a way.

Normal behavior for them; one need to nothing else, just continue the same care as before.

Or you can cut just below the aerial root and pot it up. This is the time to take the cuttings, that is what the plant is telling you, or do nothing like Karen says. Make a choice and act accordingly. I'm starting a plant for Andrew, and it is sitting in an empty pot, I am waiting for the roots before I send 'Ruby' to him. 'There is anothr Crassula called 'Burgandy' which may not be same 'Jade' that I call 'Ruby' from the Huntington Gardens. Norma

I'm of two minds about this - I've had rotting Aeoniums (I didn't know they had rotted until I dug them up) that put out a lot of aerial roots just below the heads of the plants. When I did dig them up I found no roots whatsoever, but the telltale sign of root trouble was the profusion of aerial roots (lots of them!) the plant sent out - I think it was trying to tell me it was in trouble. So I lopped off its head and rerooted it - problem solved.

OTOH, it can be as lzddr, Karen and Norma say - the plant may be fine. I think it's an opportunistic way for the plant to reproduce, but I'm not convinced it's always a sign that the plant's not in trouble. I'd look at the overall health of the plant first, but generally, at least with many Crassulaceae, it's a method to be fruitful and multiply. I can almost guarantee you that if I plant a branch of most Crassulaceae near some soil, but not touching it, in a few weeks that branch will be putting out aerial roots.

Cactusm...I'm confused: how do you plant a branch near some soil without touching it? Do you mean sort of suspend it over soil to kind of tease it into rooting? Please clarify.

Tom,

Precisely - if you plant a plant with branches within an inch of the soil (the plant's at an angle or there are some low branches) I've seen them throw out roots - I figure it's an additional way of getting nutrients for the plant and propagating. Sometimes I plan it that way, but most of the time it's just what Crassulaceae do when those conditions (particularly if the soil is damp) are met.

Tom,

Here's a picture I knew I had - I just couldn't find it earlier. It's of the aforementioned Aeonium that had rotted roots.

{{gwi:463866}}

i agree with cactusmcharris it can be both. i had a large 'tricolor' jade that started throwing lots of aerial roots, then started dropping leaves. this was all bad i found out later. the crappy soil that it was in had become hydrophobic (unable to be penetrated by water) around the root ball. because of my habit to only water my jades when the soil completely dried (winter time). most of the roots died and was taking the plant with them. before i know all of this, i had decided to re-pot this plant. that is what i had found when i did re-pot this plant.

i now have that same plant in screened turface with very healthy roots and it has recently put out just a few aerial roots, i am not worried this time that there may be a major problem.

i have never seen a plant want to survive as much as a jade does, and i do think that that is why it has aerial roots now "to be fruitful and multiply".