Plant Database
Elephant Bush
Portulacaria ‘afra’
Portulacaria afra, commonly known as Elephant Bush or Miniature Jade, is a versatile, evergreen succulent shrub prized for its attractive, fleshy, jade-green leaves and contrasting reddish-brown stems. Native to South Africa, this slow-growing, branching plant forms a dense, rounded shrub or small tree with distinctive, segmented stems that become woody and reddish-brown with age. In late spring to summer, it may produce small clusters of tiny, pink, star-shaped flowers at the branch tips, followed by small, winged capsules. Exceptionally drought-tolerant, easy to care for, and highly adaptable, it is an outstanding choice for containers, succulent gardens, xeriscapes, and as a bonsai specimen.