Jade Plant Sunburn: Diagnosing and Recovering from Leaf Damage

Your large jade developed black, corky spots and brown streaks after a week outdoors in May. This is classic sunburn—outdoor light is 100x more intense than indoors.

Sunburn damage on jade leaves

What Happened

• Sudden exposure to direct outdoor sun scorched leaves.
• Damaged tissue shows as black/corky spots, grittiness, brown streaks.
• Soil was bone-dry, but leaves were plump—plant was dehydrated, not overwatered.

Recovery Plan

1. Trim off worst-damaged leaves (they won't heal).
2. Resume normal watering (top ¼ dry).
3. Keep indoors in bright light—no more outdoor moves.
4. Do not fertilize until new growth appears.

Lesson

If a plant thrives indoors, leave it there. Environmental changes often do more harm than good. Jades don't need summer outdoors to grow well.