Accent
Elephant Food
Portulacaria afra · Didiereaceae (formerly Portulacaceae)
Also called: Dwarf Jade, Elephant Bush, Spekboom, Porkbush, Miniature Jade
Elephant Food (Portulacaria afra) is a low-water accent well suited to Tucson and the low desert. It thrives in full sun to partial shade, with a moderate to fast growth rate.
Elephant Food at a glance
- Water use
- Low (established)
- Sun
- Full sun to partial shade. In Tucson, light afternoon shade prevents leaf scorch in peak summer; full sun gives the most compact, reddish-edged growth.
- Mature size
- 4-6 ft H x 4-6 ft W in the ground (can reach taller in ideal conditions); much smaller in containers
- Growth rate
- Moderate to fast
- Bloom
- Small star-shaped pink to lavender-pink flowers (flowering is infrequent in cultivation), Late spring to summer when it blooms; flowering is sporadic and uncommon on container/landscape plants in the low desert
- Cold hardiness
- Frost tender; leaf and stem damage near 30-32°F, serious dieback in the mid-20s. USDA zones 9b-11. In Tucson, best in a warm microclimate or grown in pots that can be sheltered from hard freezes.
- Soil
- Fast-draining sandy or gritty/cactus-mix soil. Tolerates poor soils; will rot in heavy, wet, or poorly drained ground.
- Native range
- Native to the Eastern Cape and arid thickets of South Africa and Mozambique. Not native to the Sonoran Desert.
- Best used as
- Accent/specimen, Container and patio plantings, Informal low hedge or screen (in frost-free spots), Bonsai, Succulent and rock gardens, Erosion control / soil stabilization, Edible/wildlife thicket (leaves are edible, tart)
- Wildlife
- Tortoises, and in its native range elephants and other browsers, eat the foliage; small flowers attract bees and other pollinators. Leaves are edible to humans (tart, citrusy) and to many pets in small amounts.
- Toxicity
- Generally regarded as non-toxic / pet-safe — listed as non-toxic and a known browse plant; the small succulent leaves are even edible. (Note: do not confuse with true Jade, Crassula ovata, which IS toxic to pets.)
How to grow Elephant Food in Tucson & the low desert
Watering
Drought and heat tolerant once established. Water about every 1-2 weeks in summer, letting soil dry between waterings, and sparingly in winter. Overwatering causes soft, rotting stems.
Fertilizer & nutrients
Low needs. A dilute balanced or low-nitrogen fertilizer once or twice during the warm growing season promotes lush growth but is optional.
Pruning & care
Responds very well to pruning and pinching — easily shaped as an informal hedge, shrub, bonsai, or container specimen. Trim anytime in the warm season; cuttings root readily.
Notes
A soft-wooded succulent shrub with reddish-brown stems and small, round, glossy jade-green leaves; a variegated cultivar also exists. Frequently mistaken for true Jade (Crassula ovata) but is unrelated, faster-growing, and more heat-loving. Highly versatile, fast, and forgiving accent for Tucson — ideal in containers and warm microclimates given its frost sensitivity. Noted internationally as an exceptional carbon-sequestering plant.
Sources: Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum; University of Arizona Cooperative Extension; AMWUA / low-desert succulent references; ASPCA Non-Toxic Plant List; Tohono Chul / Tucson Botanical Gardens