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succulent elephant plant

succulent elephant plant Shop 'Elephant bush - Portulacaria afra' Care and Info

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Description

succulent elephant plant Shop 'Elephant bush - Portulacaria afra' Care and InfoIntroducing the Elephant Bush, also known as Portulacaria afra, which is a fascinating and popular succulent garden plant native to South Africa. It belongs to the Portulacaceae family and is known for its unique appearance and easy care requirements. The elephant bush succulent gets its name from its resemblance to the foliage of an elephant's trunk. It is also commonly referred to as the dwarf jade plant, small leaf jade, miniature jade, elephant

Introducing the Elephant Bush, also known as Portulacaria afra, which is a fascinating and popular succulent garden plant native to South Africa. It belongs to the Portulacaceae family and is known for its unique appearance and easy-care requirements.

The elephant bush succulent gets its name from its resemblance to the foliage of an elephant's trunk. It is also commonly referred to as the dwarf jade plant, small leaf jade, miniature jade, elephant food, or the Spekboom. The name "Dwarf Jade Plant" comes from its small, jade-like leaves, while "Spekboom" is an Afrikaans term meaning "bacon tree" due to the plant's edible leaves that reportedly taste like bacon.


The elephant bush plant features small, round, and fleshy pale green leaves that store water, allowing your elephant bush plant to withstand drought conditions. 

The trailing stems of the elephant bush plants are thick and red-hued, which gives them a unique and appealing appearance in hanging baskets.

When grown as a houseplant, the elephant bush typically reaches a height of 1 to 3 feet.

However, if planted outdoors in its native habitat, your Portulacaria afra can grow much larger, reaching heights of up to 20 feet. The elephant bush makes for an excellent bonsai due to its unique growth pattern and ability to withstand pruning. Its thick, fleshy leaves and sturdy branches give it a robust appearance, making it an ideal succulent for shaping into intricate bonsai designs. 

The elephant bush flowers are small, star-shaped, and usually a light pink or lavender color. While the flowers are not the main attraction of this elephant bush succulent, they can add a touch of beauty when they bloom during the spring to late summer.

The elephant bush Portulacaria afra comes in various varieties, including a slow-growing variegated form Portulacaria afra variegata; a trailing growth bush Portulacaria afra prostrata; and a midstripe rainbow bush Portulacaria afra medio-picta, offers a diverse range of beauty in green spaces.

When and How to Water Your Elephant Bush

Like other drought-tolerant jade plants, your elephant bush succulent prefers a watering routine that allows the soil to dry out between waterings. Overwatering can harm the elephant bush plant and cause root rot.

In the summer, during the growing season, you should water elephant bush succulents once or twice a month when the soil is dry. A good rule of thumb is to water this elephant plant when the top 1-2 inches of soil feel dry to the touch. In the winter, during the dormant period,  you probably do not need to water them at all. 

Remember, it's always better to underwater than to overwater the elephant bush plant. This resilient Portulacaria afra plant can tolerate drought conditions better than excessive moisture. So, keep an eye on the soil moisture and adjust your watering schedule accordingly.

Light Requirements - Where to Place Your Elephant Bush Plant

When growing the elephant bush indoors, it thrives in bright, indirect light. Place your elephant bush plant near a window where it can receive plenty of natural bright light, but make sure to avoid direct sunlight, especially during the hottest parts of the day.

If you notice the leaves turning yellow or getting scorched, it's a sign that the Portulacaria afra elephant bush is receiving too much direct sunlight. So, finding that sweet spot of bright, indirect light is key to keeping your elephant bush succulent plant happy indoors.

If you decide to grow your elephant bush outdoors, it loves basking in the full sun. Although partial shade in the afternoon is frequently preferred, these plants need at least six hours of strong light each day to survive.

This is true, especially in hotter climates where the plant may become stressed by the afternoon sun's intense heat.

Your succulents should not be placed in any areas that receive continuous, direct sunlight, as this could lead to burned foliage.

Remember, the elephant bush is a versatile succulent plant and can adapt to different light conditions. Just keep in mind that it prefers bright, indirect light indoors and full sun to partial shade outdoors.

Optimal Soil & Fertilizer Needs 

Elephant succulents are very airy, porous, nutrient-rich well-drained soil with a pH of 5.5- 6.5; succulents require fast-draining soil that dries completely between waterings. Your soil must have a sandy texture and a low water-holding capacity, just like desert soil.  Ideally, you want to use our specialized succulent potting mix that contains 5 natural substrates to promote the development of a strong root system that helps your African elephant bush plant to thrive.   

When it comes to fertilizing your elephant bush plant, it only needs a small amount of fertilizer applied once a year in spring. These succulents prefer a fertilizer with lower doses of NPK, with a maximum ratio of 5-10-5 that is higher in phosphorus than nitrogen.

Hardiness Zones & More 

When it comes to growing the Elephant Bush plant indoors, the Elephant Bush prefers a cozy environment with temperatures between 65°F and 75°F. It can tolerate slightly cooler temperatures, but it's best to avoid extreme cold or frost. If you notice the leaves starting to shrivel or the tips turning brown, it may be a sign that the air is too dry. You can increase humidity by placing a tray of water near the plant or using a humidifier.

If you are living in USDA zones 9-11, you can grow your Elephant Bush plant outdoors year-round. These zones have mild temperatures and are less prone to frost.  

In cooler zones, it can be kept outdoors during the summer and brought in as the temperature drops. 

Elephant Bush can handle average to slightly higher humidity levels outdoors. Just make sure to provide well-draining soil to prevent waterlogged conditions, as excessive moisture can lead to root rot.

Don't worry if your succulents become too hot; they can tolerate triple-digit temperatures in the summer and prefer constant temperatures above 70 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Wildlife - Portulacaria afra Attracts the Following Friendly Pollinators

Portulacaria afra have tiny, star-shaped flowers, which bloom in clusters, and are a magnet for friendly pollinators. Bees are particularly drawn to its nectar-rich blooms, while butterflies and other beneficial insects are also frequent visitors. In areas where it thrives outdoors, hummingbirds may be attracted to the vibrant blossoms as well. 

Butterflies
Bees
Hummingbirds
Lady Bugs
Multi Pollinators
Other Birds

According to ASPCA, the Portulacaria afra Elephant Bush is friendly to both humans and pets such as dogs and cats. This makes it a great choice for households with curious pets or small children.

How to Propagate Your Portulacaria afra

This African elephant bush is relatively easy to propagate. It can be grown from stem cuttings, which should be allowed to dry for a day or two before being planted in well-draining soil. The cuttings usually root quickly and can be grown into new, young plants.

Key Takeaways

  1. Elephant Bush (Portulacaria afra) is a fantastic succulent with small, jade-like leaves.
  2. Visually appealing and easy to care for, adaptable for both indoor and outdoor growth.
  3. Tolerates a wide range of warm temperatures, between 65°F and 75°F, and handles higher humidity levels.
  4. It can thrives in bright, indirect light. It is suitable for beginner and experienced plant enthusiasts alike.
  5. Often grown as a seasonal accent plant or houseplant.
  6. Order your Elephant Bush today and add something truly exceptional to your garden.

The Bottom Line

Overall, Portulacaria afra, or Elephant Bush, is a remarkable plant that combines beauty, resilience, and ecological value. Its succulent, jade-like leaves and sprawling growth make it a striking addition to both indoor and outdoor settings, while its ability to tolerate drought and thrive in poor soils underscores its low-maintenance appeal. This plant’s capacity to attract friendly pollinators such as bees and butterflies further enhances its value in promoting biodiversity. With minimal care—bright, indirect light, well-draining soil, occasional watering, and protection from frost—Portulacaria afra can flourish for years, serving as both a stunning decorative element and an eco-friendly choice for any garden or home.

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jpmath
Charlottesville, US
★★★★★ 4
Beautiful and profound, albeit flawed
Format: Hardcover
What I'd really like to rate this is 4 1/2 stars, because it isn't perfect, but it's better than a 4. I just can't bear to give it a 5, for reasons described below. The book has three main parts, each named for a theological virtue of the title. Altogether there are 40 chapters: 14 dedicated to faith, 10 to hope, and 16 to charity. A couple of "Bonus" chapters called "Excursus" take up some interesting theological questions that are related but don't quite fall under any one topic: did Jesus possess the theological virtues? and From God as Love to the Filioque. The book is deeply learned and cites theologians through the centuries, including a few I'd never heard of despite a lot of formal and informal theological study. Of course you meet the usual suspects such as Origen, pseudo-Dionysius, Augustine, Thomas Aquinas, Catherine of Siena, John of the Cross, Mother Teresa, and others; but: have YOU heard of St. Zeno of Verona before? If not, you're in for a treat! The text has more of an Augustinian flavor than a Scholastic one. (I should qualify that claim by admitting that I am at best an armchair theologian, so don't quote me on that.) But, for example: Chapter 39 discusses Beauty, uses the idea of God's eternal Beauty to explain the Trinity, and concludes with St. Augustine's "recipe" for becoming beautiful. Indeed, an in-depth discussion of the Trinity doesn't appear at all until Part 3 on Charity, rather than in the chapter on Faith! An important distinction that Fr. Cantalamessa draws is between "objective" aspects of a theological virtue and the "subjective" aspects of the same. The "objective" aspects refer to the object of the virtue, such as God Himself; the "subjective" aspects refer to how we experience them. He points out that, historically, the "objective" view tended to predominate in theological discussion, whereas the "subjective" view tends to dominate more recently, almost to the exclusion of the objective. It will probably not surprise the reader that Fr. Cantalamessa, former Preacher to the Papal Hosuehold, comes down squarely in the Catholic approach of "both/and", and he elaborates on this. A very appealing aspect of this book is the occasional use of parable and analogy to explain difficult subjects: a parable on trying to justify ourselves by our works (Ch. 7), analogies for "the hint that God exists" (ch. 5), the analogy of the seed (ch. 14), an analogy that hope needs difficulties and tribulations (ch. 22), the Trinity (ch. 29), God's love for us is erotic (ch. 34), and how we might hope that even Nietzsche can be saved (ch. 37). Many analogies, though not all, are drawn from ordinary family life: a mother's love for a child, a child's temper tantrum before collapsing in tears on a parent. These are powerful and effective. Unfortunately, I can't rate it 5 stars, because the text seems to consider its audience to be the average educated lay Catholic, but there are two serious weaknesses both for the theological newbie and even for the theological adolescent. One is the use of many unfamiliar terms, some of them merely transliterated from Greek, and no definition given anywhere -- often, not even a hint of what the word may mean. In some cases this can make it difficult to follow the discussion. For instance, the text dedicates two entire chapters to the question of justification, which makes sense given that it's an important topic in the realm of faith, and it's important to take it seriously. But the book never once provides a definition, which suggests the reader should be familiar with the term already. I guarantee you most people don't know what the word means. But even if you think that a definition of "justification" will indeed come tripping off the average reader's tongue, I challenge you to make a case for terms like ontological, parousia, and parenesis. I've been reading Catholic theology for 30 years and parenesis is a new one even to me. Sure, the reader might could look them up, and I'm glad to expand my vocabulary, but who's the audience here? If the text is meant only for seminarians, then never mind, but given how Word on Fire is marketing this I really don't think that is the case. The second major weakness is all the more disappointing, as it is so common to contemporary works of theology: when newer developments seem to contradict past dogma or even Scripture itself, pretend the dogma and Scripture doesn't exist. This happens at least twice: 1) Surely Fr. Cantalamessa is not unaware that Scripture both Old and New is replete with references to Christ "ransoming" us from God's wrath. Yet there he is in Chapter 31, not merely acting as if it doesn't exist, but contemptuously dismissive of the notion! Grant the Scholastics this much: at least they took Matthew 20.28, Romans 1.18, Romans 2.5-8, 1 Timothy 2.6, 1 Peter 1.18-19, and Revelation 19.15 seriously enough to wrestle with them. 2) Similarly, the Council of Florence made certain pronouncements on "those existing outside the Catholic Church" and "the souls of those who depart this life in actual mortal sin, or in original sin alone." Chapter 14 acts as if they do not exist. I do not for a moment mean to advocate for the "glass half-empty" interpretation of these pronouncements that predominated theological discourse for centuries, let alone for Feeneyism, but we ignore them at our peril, if only because ignoring them leaves a great big breach in the apologetic wall that will come under assault both from those who do reject the Second Vatican Council and from hostile Protestants more knowledgeable of Catholic theological history than the average Catholic and, one half-wonders, the average Catholic theologian. Those drawbacks, while severe enough in my eyes to warrant mention and deduct a star, do not for a moment take away from the beauty and profundity of the rest of this work. I am very glad to have had the chance to read it; it has challenged me both intellectually and spiritually, and I have given it to my (late teenage) children to read and discuss with me. It is absolutely worth reading, and you WILL get a lot out of it. Just be ready for the challenge.
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Reviewed in the United States on July 25, 2025
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shelly turco
Charlottesville, US
★★★★★ 5
OPEN YOUR EYES
Format: Paperback
Great book! Open your eyes sheep..... there is much more to this world that we know of. Authority figures have lied to us long enough..... do your own research. This book is a great example of what we were not taught in school! Well written.
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Reviewed in the United States on February 14, 2021
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Sailorman
Chelsea, US
★★★★★ 4
Great speculation from the "Alternative Camp"
Format: Paperback
According to John Anthony West it was not until the second half of the twentieth century that "guerilla scholarship" became a noticeable, if uncoordinated force in modern science. Guerilla scholarship of course, refers to the alternative camp or those that challenge orthodox views in science, archeology, anthropology, etc. If this book doesn't fall into the guerilla scholarship or alternative camp category it comes really close. Author Dr. Robert Schoch is of course the archeologist who some years ago, along with John Anthony West, shocked the scientific community and infuriated Dr. Zahi Hawass, Egypt's Director of Antiquity, by claiming that the Sphinx's construction predated Khufu, its alleged builder, by 3,000 years or more. While the controversy surrounding those claims has resulted in numerous books, both, pro and con, with no real accepted conclusions, in this book Schoch tries to develop the hypothesis that all of the pyramids constructed around the world have a common origin in Sundaland, which was inundated under 250 feet of water after the last ice age. If somebody could come across a pyramid or two (2), that predated the great pyramid, under that 250 feet of water it would certainly help Schoch's case, but be that as it may, Schoch, while not proving his hypothesis, does present a pretty convincing argument in support of his speculation. Schoch begins with a discussion in review of the theories for the age of Giza and other pyramid type structures around the world. He then provides very convincing evidence for his claim that humans traversed both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans eons before Columbus's 1492 voyage, which is the orthodox view of the first contact with the new world. He discusses how early humans might have accomplished this as well as their possible motives for doing so. Schoch concludes with where they came from, arriving at the common roots in Sundaland 10,000 years ago. This book probably has some of the longest, impossible to pronounce names, of people and places of any book that I have ever read; and a few maps of various parts of the world, particularly Europe, the Middle and Far East, and South America, would have helped a great deal in developing a mental picture of what was being related. All that aside, the book challenges the mind and causes one to think. I was particularly intrigued by Schoch's explanation as to how Moses was able to convince the pharaoh to allow him and his followers to leave Egypt, as well as Schoch's perfectly plausible explanation of what parted the waters of the Red Sea and subsequently drowned the pharaoh's army when the waters rushed back in. While maybe not as convincing as Schoch's earlier work, "Voices of the Rocks", Schoch presents convincing arguments and if you are a "guerilla scholar" you're going to love this book.
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on February 24, 2008
K
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K. Ryan Kane
Massapequa, US
★★★★★ 5
This is a great book to begin your study on all the groups ...
Format: Paperback
This book isn't just about pyramids. It talks a lot about all the different groups and waves of people who traveled to the American continent, mostly the Latin American areas. There is so much information contained therein that I intend to read this book again. This is a great book to begin your study on all the groups who traveled to Latin America.
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Reviewed in the United States on May 14, 2018
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Robert R.
Fort Morgan, US
★★★★★ 5
Good read
Format: Kindle
Very well written, personable, and good research. Several references were made about Noah and Moses as if they were valid historical people and their related events, which most scholars agree were 'lifted' from Sumerian and Akkadian legends. Doesn't give much credit to Zechariah Sitchin, never even mentions Enlil and Enki - it's like talking about Kennedy's last trip to Dallas without mentioning the Grassy Knoll.
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on September 28, 2015

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