Portulacaria afra

Common Name:
Elephant Bush

Description:
Portulacaria afra, commonly known as Elephant Bush, is a hardy, drought-tolerant succulent native to South Africa. This versatile plant features small, round, glossy green leaves on reddish-brown stems, forming a bushy and architectural shape that's equally at home in outdoor rockeries or as a low-maintenance indoor feature in Melbourne. Favoured for its ability to store water in its leaves and stems, it thrives in dry, sunny environments and requires minimal watering. It prefers well-drained soil and benefits from occasional pruning to maintain a compact form. Outdoors, it can be grown as a low hedge or bonsai-style specimen, while indoors it makes a tidy, sculptural addition to bright windowsills. In very hot or dry conditions, mature plants may produce tiny pink-purple flowers, though this is uncommon in Melbourne’s cooler climate. Highly valued for its carbon-sequestering abilities and minimal care requirements, the Elephant Bush is a sustainable and stylish choice for both contemporary and arid gardens.

Form:

• Shrub - Small

• Shrub - Clumping / Grass-like / Mounding

• Suitable for Indoor Foliage

• Ground Cover (in dry zones)

Mature Size:

• Height: 1–2.5 metres (can be kept much smaller with pruning)

• Width: 1–2 metres

Aspect:

• Full Sun

• Part Shade

• Indoors / Well lit

Flowering:

• Flowers in Summer (rare in Melbourne)

• Does not flower under Melbourne's weather conditions

Flower Colour:

• Pink to Purple (infrequent; only on mature plants in ideal conditions)

Key Attributes:

• Suitable for Pots

• Suitable for Indoors

• Drought Tolerant

• Perennial

• Low Maintenance

• Suitable for Hedging

• Suitable for Bonsai

• Carbon Sequestering Plant

• Edible Leaves (used in salads in small amounts)

Toxicity:

• Non-toxic to humans

• Non-toxic to cats and dogs

Companion Plants:

• Crassula ovata (Jade Plant)

• Senecio serpens (Blue Chalk Sticks)

• Echeveria spp.

• Kalanchoe thyrsiflora (Flapjacks)

• Aloe spp.