These are no ordinary jade plants. They’re my sister Fran’s parting gift to me and each of my sisters, cuttings from the large jade plant in her foyer, potted by her husband Adam, and, when Fran died before being able to finish the pots, decorated by her dear friend Sharon.
The cool part is that the large jade in Fran’s foyer was grown from a cutting from a jade that once grew on Jerry Garcia’s deck in California. You know, this guy –
I swear it’s true. You see, some years back, my brother Joe worked as a landscaper…Wait, I’ll let Joe tell you the story….
The Jerry Jades as told by Joe
I was re-landscaping the deck area of Jerry Garcia”s home in San Anselmo, CA when his girlfriend Manasha told me to toss three potted Jades along with some other plants. I took the Jades home and kept them on my front porch on 4th Street in San Rafael. I also had about 15-20 small terracotta pots running up both sides of my steps out front that were usually planted with annuals for color, but at the time the Jerry Jades were born, the color was not in the pots and the pots just had bare soil.
When we would have wind storms in Marin, the top heavy Jades would blow off the porch ledge and pieces would break off. Jades are basically indestructable so I would just toss the broken pieces and stand the pots back up.
One morning after yet another windstorm had damaged one of the jades, my best friend Tom and I were bullshitting on the porch. Tom hates to waste or throw anything away and he is not one to sit around, so while we were talking, he was breaking the large broken jade limb apart and stuffing the plugs into the empty annual color pots. A little water and lots of neglect later, the jade plugs started sprouting arms of their own. Once in a while, we would casually mention to our friends that the jades were from the larger jade and then it would come out that they used to be on Jerry’s deck. People would get googly eyed and we would give them a cutting.
Tom and I were always more amazed that we had created a jade farm by jamming limbs in dry dirt than the fact that I was working for Jerry and Manasha. Once Jerry died, though, the jades sort took on new meaning.
I have no earthly idea who has the two mother plants at this point, but Frannie acquired one of the Jerry Jades when she mentioned the story to a surgeon friend who was a life long dead head (scary thought…). She begged me to send one for him after he learned of the story and hounded the crap out her for one. I sent her a couple of bare root jades from one of the original color pots via US Postal. Apparently her friend cried when she gave his to him. He then accidentally amputated someone’s head (Just kidding about that part..Dead head, get it?….)
Interestingly, the jades have a similar lineage story to the bootleg tapes the Dead were known for. The tapes were awesome copies, sometimes referred to as first generation sound boards (when the concert was recorded directly from the sound guy’s equipment). However, if you made a tape to tape copy of that tape, it became a “second generation soundboard,” and if you taped that tape, a third generation would be had. You see where I am going with this…
Franny’s plant are true second generation Jerry Jades since they came right from the main plant.That was 20 years ago now, pre-cell phone and pre-email and when I wrote and told my friends that I was working for Jerry (and eventually David Grisman once), I learned that some of my college friends actually thought I was “telling stories” as we now say in the South. I was always known as honest, but I guess I would have wondered about my story too since it was a pretty wild one. What a long strange trip it’s been….
Fran’s Jade plant grew over the years to a beautifully large and healthy bush that sat in her foyer, and from which she and Adam have bestowed cuttings to friends over the years hence. Spreading the Jerry love, so to speak…
I guess you could say that my plant is a 3rd generation Jerry Jade. I plan to keep it alive and growing for many, many years, and eventually, when it’s large enough for cuttings, I’ll spread the love in Fran’s memory.
Jerry Garcia Pic used with permission from Wikipedia
A lovely post to read in the sun with my morning coffee!
You should only attend to the Franny/Jerry Jade plant while wearing the Steven Tyler shirt.
When my wife’s sister passed away, our neighbors gave us a memorial Japanes Maple tree. This is one of our most cherished possesions for sure. While we generally take a “if you want to live, find your own water” approach to plants, grass and trees (some make it some don’t), this one we nurture carefully. It’s great to have a living, growing, thriving reminder of Fran for yourself.
Thanks for sharing, and cool pots, too.
Correction: “tend” should replace “attend”. Functional illiteracy shining through once again…
Lovely story, super cool pots, and what a wonderful way to keep your friend’s memory green.
Loved this post, very beautiful and touching in a wonderful way
Lovely
what a great story, and lovely gift.
Knowing my history with plants (I could kill a rubber tree) I will be tending my Jerry Jade with the utmost loving care. I owe that to Fran:)
XO, Ro
[…] 8 clay pots in which she had sub-divided the Jerry Jade (Jerry Garcia’s jade plant – that’s another story..), wanting to leave us all a final […]
Just gave away a 4th generation Jerry Jade!
xo
Patty
Do you still have your Jade? We heard this story in our local plant store when we bought a massive 2’+ jade , would love a cutting if your willing!
You heard this story at a plant store? Where?…
I have cuttings ready to go.
Still spreading the love with my Jerry Jade.
Have 4 potted and ready right now.
I have a jerry jade !
If anyone would like a curing, leave an email so I can get in touch.
I swear this is true.
Chrus
Everyone claiming they have a Jerry Jade needs to tell the story of who they got it from so it can be traced back to the source – Jerry. What’s your story? You can email me privately if you like. I’m just so curious how far the jades have gone!
Hi there! I would absolutely love a cutting. My email is barkocym5@gmail.com feel free to reach out whenever you get the chance 🙂
Hi Chris, I would love to get a clipping from you. I had a plant about 10 years ago but left it in California when I moved back east. I would be super appreciative if I could procure one from you. I will compensate for your time. I can be reached by email at burghjohn@gmail.com or phone at 704-564-9611. Thank you Chris and have a grateful day! Jbryder
I.went looking for this story after receiving a jerry jade plant from a friend who was moving. He told me the story so I had to find it for myself. I have struggled to get mine to have babies so I can share. The 2 sprouts from it just keep growing longer and longer with no apparent “arms” to remove and transplant. Thanls for sharing this story!
Kami would love to hear how the Jerry jade made its way to you! Can you email me privately w details? Mpolanec@gmail.com
Peggy
Hello, this may be interesting to you! I had no clue about Jerry’s Jade plants and the origin of this story, however I have another chapter. I’m a musician and have always been a GFD fan as my Dad was a dead head (RIP). A family friend had gifted me one of these cuttings after she and I were talking about the musical genus of the GFD. She went on to say that she personally met Jerry’s landscaper, who I think was also the landscaper for her father’s property (I’m not 100% sure of the connection between her and the landscaper but I’d be happy to get her side of the story). Anyhow I have some of Jerry’s Jade alive and strong, I plan on passing some cuttings to my band mates this coming holiday. I’ve had the Jade plant for about 4 years now. Thanks for getting your story out there I feel as it confirms that the Jade plant is related. Happy Thanksgiving!
I just got a jade cutting from the source. My wife recently died and this cutting will remind me of the circle of life we all abide in. Love you Jerry, miss you Kim. Miss you Jerry, love you Kim.