Elephant Bush
4.6 out of 5 (194 experiences)
Survivor
Fast grower
Also known as
Elephant Food, Dwarf Jade Plant, Porkbush, Spekboom and Little Jade
Taxonomy
Portulacaria afra
Portulacaria
Didiereaceae
Caryophyllales
How to care for Elephant Bush
How often to water your Elephant Bush
every 12
Elephant Bush needs 0.5 cups of water every 12 when it doesn’t get direct sunlight and is potted in a 5" pot.
Use our water calculator to personalize watering recommendations to your environment or download Greg for more advanced recommendations for all of your plants.
Water 0.5 cups every
12
Finding light for Elephant Bush in your home
a window
Elephant Bush love being close to bright, sunny windows 😎.
Place it less than 1ft from a south-facing window to maximize the potential for growth.
Elephant Bush does not tolerate low-light 🚫.
Select your region to see how the current weather in your area affects the placement of Elephant Bush in your home 🏡.
How to fertilize Elephant Bush
Most potting soils come with ample nutrients which plants use to produce new growth.
By the time your plant has depleted the nutrients in its soil it’s likely grown enough to need a larger pot anyway.
To replenish this plant's nutrients, repot your Elephant Bush after it doubles in size or once a year—whichever comes first.
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Does anyone have suggestions on what I can do with my elephant bush?
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The two leaves on my elephant plant that I just posted are wilting they are not firm like all the others- watering is done when the soil gets super dry I am wondering what is happening. Too much grow light exposure? #ElephantBush
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Hi, I’m new to everything plants and trees. Bought my first plant, it’s a portulacaria afra, ive repotted it into a soil for cactuses. I have watched some videos but not sure what I’m doing, did not water the plant yet since I’m scared it might be too much, the leaves still feel full. Advice is appreciated I live in the Eu so there is not much sunlight and it gets dark pretty fast even though it’s near a window there is no sunlight just gloomy daylight.
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Best succulent fertilizer #ElephantBush
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Does this plant look healthy still? My plant has been growing so much and I thought it was doing really well so I decided to propagate a little bit. I haven't really changed anything else but it has gotten colder since the season change. My plant has stopped growing as far as I can tell and some leaves look slightly whitish. Is this normal or do I need to address this issue?
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My favorite plant trunk is looking sad. I’ve been watering as instructed. But I’m not sure what’s wrong. #ElephantBush
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I got two Elephant Bush in the summer. And I just love them! I repotted them towards the end of the summer because they looked squished. And they did well in the sun. Not needing much water. Once I brought the inside (NY cold) I thought they were not looking the same. Then the leaves started to fall off. I looked it up. Realized that they were looking sparse. I’ve added grow lights. I think they are starting to look better. But the leaves continue to fall :( #SucculentSquad #SucculentLove #Succulents
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Hii everyone! It’s my first winter with an elephant bush. He was outside all summer until I brought him inside about a month and a half ago. Is it normal for my elephant bush to lose all his petals??
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Losing leave at a pace 🙁 #ElephantBush #HappyPlants #PlantsMakePeopleHappy #PlantAddict My elephant bush is losing most of her leaves. I have been cautious of not over watering but think the opposite may be happening. How do those plants adjust to the winter? Any recommendations? I wonder if the heating being on now is also having an impact? Any helpful advice of suggestions welcome. TIA 🌿💚🪴💛
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What’s happening to her? Why are her branches drying out and her leaves falling off? #ElephantBush
Care Summary for Elephant Bush
Elephant Bush
Greg recommends:
Water
0.5 cups every 12 days
Placement
< 1ft from a window
Nutrients
Repot after 2x growth
Based on the 4” pot your plant is in, and that it doesn’t get direct sunlight.
What other plant parents say
Survivor 123
Fast grower 89
Easy to propagate 42
Browns easily 18
Blooms easily 17
Large, lush leaves 10
Pest magnet 5
11/23/2022
I love my little Elephant Bush! For someone who wants to brighten up their space but has a very poor record keeping plants alive, this plant is perfect! I’ve had my bush since it was only a couple inches tall and within a month or so both of the sprigs have nearly tripled in height
Survivor
Fast grower
03/15/2022
As a succulent, it doesn’t require much water, making it perfect for the summertime on my patio table here in Phoenix AZ! Puffy little jade shaped leaves. Love how this little fella trails down over the pot!!
Survivor
02/11/2022
It takes a while for leaves to grow but when they do they tell you exactly when it needs water :)
Survivor
02/03/2022
Needs more water than a traditional succulent. Don’t let it fool you!!
Browns easily
01/30/2022
low maintenance:)
Survivor
01/27/2022
Very delicate. if you don’t maintain hood conditions they will drop all their leaves :(
Pest magnet
01/10/2022
Oops. Forgot about this guy in the window and did usual watering but it doesn’t seem to like the spot it was in.
11/11/2021
Can be a little finicky but a very cute plant
Fast grower
11/03/2021
Always looks full and healthy
Survivor
10/28/2021
The need a lot of water and for this plant I notice it’s better to put water in a bowl and place the plant in and let it absorb what it needs
Fast grower
Survivor
10/18/2021
This guy almost died after being left out in a hale storm this summer. He has doubled in size since July. 🤯
Fast grower
Survivor
10/15/2021
Easily over watered.
10/08/2021
I’m hoping to try bonsai with babies from this plant. It never dies
Survivor
10/06/2021
Super cute and havent run into problems yet. Will let you know if it needs water when its leaves shrivel a bit.
Fast grower
10/06/2021
It got sick I think a couple months ago and it was pretty easy to fix. It’s a pretty harsh plant
Survivor
10/05/2021
Super cute and small. Needs a bit more sunlight than most succulents but still very manageable!
Easy to propagate
Survivor
Browns easily
10/03/2021
It’s a very cute succulent and it flourishes into a beautiful bush, hence its name. It also makes a great filler for succulent arrangements. I love that this guy is sooo easy to propagate!
Fast grower
Easy to propagate
Survivor
10/02/2021
This is a good luck plant. They call it a money tree in Chinese feng sue
Survivor
Large, lush leaves
08/22/2021
I don’t water it often and it seems to do alright so far.
Survivor
08/07/2021
So cute, lots of growth and doesn’t need watering a lot, My personal favourite
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