1 mini Jade Elephant bush, Portulacaria afra Live Plant

Mini Jade Elephant bush, Portulacaria afra

You will receive one rooted Elephant bush, Portulacaria afra Plant

This is a well established 1 year plant growing in a one gallon container.

Your plant will be shipped with the roots wrapped in damp paper towels and with plastic and ready to plant upon arrival. The plant will be between 4”to 8”in height with well-developed roots. Planting guidelines will also be included.

Elephant bush, Portulacaria afra, is a perennial succulent shrub from South Africa that is a popular succulent garden plant around the world. It is easily grown as a seasonal accent plant or low maintenance houseplant in our part of the world. Also sometimes called elephant food or elephant plant; dwarf jade, miniature jade or small leaf jade (but not related to jade plant, Crassula ovata); porkbush; or spekboom (in Afrikaans) or other common names in Africa, it is found on rocky outcrops and slopes from the Little Karoo in the Western Cape to the Eastern Cape northwards into KwaZulu-Natal, Swaziland, Mpumalanga and the Limpopo Province and further north into Mozambique.

Although it is considered to be in the purslane plant family (Portulacaceae), molecular phylogenetic studies suggest this genus should be in the Didiereaceae, a group otherwise found only in Madagascar. Recent research has shown P. afra is an excellent ‘carbon sponge’, with the ability to efficiently use more carbon from the air than most other plants and can therefore remove more carbon from the atmosphere than an equal amount of deciduous forest.

This is a soft-wooded, semi-evergreen upright multi-stemmed shrub or small tree that can grow 8 to 15 feet tall in the ground in mild climates (hardy in zones 9- 11). The fleshy, flattened, ½-¾ inch long nearly sessile (without a distinct petiole) leaves are round to oval in shape.  The glossy emerald green, opposite leaves are borne on brittle, fleshy reddish-brown stems and tapering branches that mature to a grayish color. Although succulent, the trunk and branches have a woody inner tissue. The stiff, irregularly arranged branches will grow into a thicket if left unpruned. Heavy branches may break off, often rooting where they fall and beginning new plants. It looks superficially similar to jade plant, but has much smaller leaves that tend to be closer together on thinner stems.We are a full service licensed plant nursery (B2915001).

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