Stronger than an elephant ... and rather tasty
Learn about our natural heritage and the links between cultural and biological diversity and dense, and is increasingly used to check the soil erosion as it binds the soil very effectively. It hosts the mistletoe and Viscum crassulae parasites. It is widely browsed by domestic and wild animals because of its ability to remain succulent despite periods of searing heat and drought, and is a favourite food of tortoises.
Elephants do eat the plant, leaving the lower, spreading branches and a lot of broken twigs as they strip the branches of the leaves, which later root to expand and thicken the colony, creating new thickets known as spekboomvelds.
Other animals, such as goats, eat the plant from the ground up preventing the plant from surviving.
Overgrazing and regeneration is causing a decline in elephant bush populations, except in areas such as parks or reserves where non-native browsers are limited, as P. afra seed has great difficulty germinating in its native habitat.
Uses and cultural aspects
The leaves, which are edible with a pleasantly acid flavor, are eaten by women when they have insufficient natural milk for their babies.
Leaves that have been dried and ground are used as snuff. Dried stems are flattened and used as thatch.
The foliage is edible and is commonly eaten, usually in salads or soups, to add flavor.
Growing
Growing Elephant bush indoors: P. afra needs welldrained soil and an unglazed pot that will help excess moisture evaporate.
The mixture for this type of plant is cactus soil or potting soil cut by half with sand, vermiculite or pumice.
Choose a location with indirect sunlight when growing elephant bush indoors.
Overly bright sunlight can char the leaves and cause them to drop off.
Ensure that the container you choose has wide drainage holes.
Elephant bush works well as part of a succulent display.
How to care for elephant bush
Portulacaria care is similar to that of other succulent plants. If planted outdoors in warm climates, dig in 7cm of sand or gritty material to provide well drained soil. Watch for pests like whitefly, spider mites and mealybugs.
The most common mistake made in succulent plants is watering. They are drought tolerant, but do require watering from April to October. In winter, the plants the plants are dormant and you may suspend watering.
Elephant bush in the home interior should not have consistently wet feet.
Make sure the pot drains well and don’t leave a saucer with water under the container. Fertilise in late winter to early spring with an indoor plant fertiliser diluted by half.
Propagation of elephant bush
Like most succulents, elephant bush is easy to reproduce from cuttings, which you should takes in spring or summer for best results.
Let the cuttings dry out and callus for a couple of days and then plant the cuttings in damp, gritty soil in a small pot.
Place the cuttings in a moderately lit area where temperatures are at least 18C. Keep the soil lightly watered and in few weeks the cutting will root and you will have a new elephant bush to share with your friends or add to your collection. Read more at Gardening Know How: Growing Elephant Bush Indoors bit.ly/GrocSpekboom.
References and further reading: Coates Palgrave, M. 2002 (third edition). Keith Coates Palgrave Trees of Southern Africa. Struik Nature, Cape Town
• Learn about our natural heritage and the links between cultural and biological diversity with Someleze Mgcuwa, a plant digitiser for the Karoo Bio gaps project, based in the Schonland Herbarium in the Albany Museum.