CD, down here in the OC jade plants grow all over the place and seem to bloom almost all year. We have some in town that are 20' tall and have trunks 18" in diameter. We have two in the back yard and one in the house, all started from the neighbor's compost clippings. I think they must be native to a Mediterranen climate like we have here. And they don't take much water, which is increasingly desireable here.
I haven't forgotten about that Sierra Nevada...I'll probably be up your way in May, headed to Redding and Lassen Park. Will PM you when I know; have a great 2010!