Portulacaria afra ‘Variegata’ (Rainbow Elephant Bush) after I brought it home on 8-25-12, #116-44.

Rainbow Elephant Bush

Portulacaria afra ‘Variegata’

por-tew-luh-KAR-ee-uh AF-ra var-ee-GAY-tuh

Synonyms of Portulacaria afra (9) (Updated on 12-16-23 from Plants of the World Online): Crassula portulacaria L. (1762), Crassula portulacastrum Harv. (1862),Haenkea crassifolia Salisb. (1796)(nom. superfl.), Portulacaria afra f. macrophylla H.Jacobsen (1955), Portulacaria afra f. microphylla H.Jacobsen (1955), Portulacaria afra f. variegata H.Jacobsen (1955), Portulacaria portulacaria (L.) Graebn. (1915)(not validly publ.), Claytonia portulacaria (L.) L. (1771), Portulaca fruticosa Thunb. (1800)(nom. illeg.)

Portulacaria afra Jacq. is the accepted scientific name for this species. Both the genus and species were named and described as such by Nicolaus (Nicolaas) Joseph von Jacquin in Collectanea in 1787.

Portulacaria afra f. variegata H.Jacobsen was described by Hermann Johannes Heinrich Jacobsen in 1955. This infraspecific name is listed as a synonym of Portulacaria afra on WCSP (World Checklist of Selected Plant Families).

 As of 12-16-23 when this page was last updated, Plants of the World Online lists 7 species in the Portulacaria genus. It is a member of the plant family Didiereaceae with 6 genera. Those numbers could change as updates are made on POWO.

THERE ARE A FEW LINKS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE FOR FURTHER READING.

Portulacaria afra ‘Variegata’ (Rainbow Elephant Bush) at 5 1/2″ tall x 8 1/2″ wide on 11-24-12, #132-7.

I brought this Portulacaria afra f. variegata home from Lowe’s in Greenville, Mississippi in August 2012. I was living at the mansion in Leland at the time and was collecting a lot of plants.

Portulacaria afra is native to Cape Provinces, Kenya, KwaZulu-Natal, Mozambique, Northern Provinces, and Swaziland in south and southwest Africa. They like the heat, are drought-tolerant, and can handle cool nighttime temps as long as they don’t get a frost.

They aren’t really that particular about their soil as long as it is well-draining and it must dry between watering. Well, unless it is during a rainy period and they seem to like the extra rain then.

Portulacaria afra ‘Variegata’ (Rainbow Elephant Bush) on 2-17-13, #139-54.

USEFUL INFORMATION:
Family: Didiereaceae (formerly in the Portulacaceae).
Origin: Africa.
Zones: USDA Zones 9a-11 (20 to 40° F).
Size: 4-6’ but much smaller in pots.
Light: Sun to light shade.
Soil: Fast-draining. Good quality potting soil amended with pumice (50/50) or additional perlite and chicken grit (2-1-1).
Water: Regular watering during the growing season, barely in winter.
Propagation: Stem cuttings.

Portulacaria afra ‘Variegata’ (Rainbow Elephant Bush) on 6-1-13, #151-59.

I brought this plant with me when I moved from the mansion in Mississippi to the family farm in mid-Missouri in February 2013.

Portulacaria afra ‘Variegata’ (Rainbow Elephant Bush) on 9-17-13, #188-50.

Portulacaria afra is not particularly picky about soil as long as it is well-drained. I always grew my cactus and succulents in Miracle Grow or Schultz Potting soil amended with a little extra perlite and pumice (2-1-1). Many cactus and succulent growers suggested pumice over perlite so I started using a 50/50 mix of potting soil and pumice in the fall of 2018. I re-pot whenever plants need it, but I mainly do it during the fall and winter because the peat in the potting soil gets hard when you withhold water during that time of the year when you stop watering as often. Re-potting in the fall allows plants to have a nice loose and airy mix over the winter.

Portulacaria afra ‘Variegata’ (Rainbow Elephant Bush) on 10-7-13, #193-66.

Well, it has been about 10 years since the above photo was taken. I don’t remember what happened to this plant but maybe someday I will bring home another one. I have seen small plants several times but I just haven’t brought one home yet… I can always make room. 🙂

I hope you enjoyed this page and maybe found it useful. If you have any comments, questions or suggestions, I would like to hear from you. Please click on “like” if you visited this page. It helps us bloggers stay motivated. 🙂 You can check out the links below for further reading. The links take you directly to the genus and species of this plant.

FOR FURTHER READING:
PLANTS OF THE WORLD ONLINE (GENUS/SPECIES)
WIKIPEDIA (GENUS/SPECIES)
LLIFLE (ENCYCLOPEDIA OF LIVING FORMS)
DAVE’S GARDEN
U OF W MASTER GARDENING PROGRAM
GARDENING KNOW HOW
USEFUL TROPICAL PLANTS
PLANTZAFRICA.COM
SAN MARCOS GROWERS