Only water once the top layer of soil is completely dry because Portulacaria do not like sitting in water for too long. The Elephant Bush requires several hours of bright, indirect sunlight to thrive. Awesome video…helped me know what to do for my elephant bush. It does need plenty of light, well draining soil, and does best in a planter with a drainage hole. The Elephant Bush hates staying wet for too long, so poor draining soil is a problem. Any advice. If your Portulacaria is dropping it’s leaves easily when bumped, this is a sign of overwatering. Furthermore, keep your Elephant Bush away from air conditioning vents and heaters as these can excessively dry out your plant. Let it dry out completely. Slowly, acclimate the plant to the new conditions; the leaves will be sunburned if a plant is abruptly moved outside from inside of the house. However if kept outdoors, they may produce small clustered white or pink blooms. They will produce clusters of pinkish-white and purple flowers. Insufficient watering leads to dried up and shriveled leaves. Elephant bush plant may get 6- to 20-feet (2-6 m.) tall in habitat where it is a favorite food of elephants. Adding in perlite and sand helps improve draining. I’m so sad, I just went outside and noticed my Elephant bush clipping that I propagated has turned brown and part of the bush I cut it from!! Portulacaria afra is a perfect addition to your indoor or outdoor succulent garden. There was only two left by the time the plant started to recover. Don’t worry, cut back the water supply, don’t water it in the dormant season (winter and fall). Scientific classification of elephant bush plant. It can kill the plant quickly, so you must take action. Take the Cuttings. Elephant Bush Succulents. If you have recently moved your houseplant to an area that is a change from it’s previous conditions, that could be the source of your plant’s leaf drop. In general, the Jade Plant is able to support itself as it grows, while Portulacaria tend to droop and sprawl as their stems grow. Many people try to overcompensate which is the downfall of their elephant bush. Roots are attached underneath the soil but they just won’t stand up. Help? Can you help me? I can almost scrape it off with my nails. Crassula Capitella (crassula campfire)-Caring Guide – The pot has no drain holes. This succulent can even survive freezing temperatures and mild frost as long as it is not for an extended period of time. What can I do to save them, anything?? you will know just by its look; the leaves will have a shriveled and flat appearance. Portulacaria Afra “elephant bush” resembles crassula ovata in a lot of ways but they are not related. The bush has thick succulent brown stems with small tender green leaves that resemble a diminutive jade plant. The stems are dark brown in color, with the leaves being small and green. Lifegrowsgreen.inc. It is non-toxic to humans also. You can definitely use a grow light , I recvd it as a gift an it’s looking like a hanging plant long branches an the leaves are falling off.. please help. If you see fallen leaves in your pot, leave them in there and maybe you will get lucky! area with desert temps. Mini jade is an attractive succulent shrub or small tree, elephant feed plant can reach up to 2-4 in height, and in some circumstances, it can grow into a huge 10-20 tall where it is a favourite food for elephants hence, called elephant’s food. Learn more about watering succulents here. Their appearance, shape of trunk, leaves, and stem almost resembles, but the Elephant plant/dwarf jade plant is different from the jade plant.It is a perennial succulent shrub from South Africa. That was exactly my problem, over-watering; I lost almost ALL of the leaves. Still have more questions about Elephant Bush care? If planting indoors, place it in a sunny window. Your plant may or may not be sitting in the wrong pot (soil). It’s best to use the “soak and dry” method, and allow the soil to dry out completely between waterings. Before jumping to our main guide, let give you a list of our must-read articles: If you want to grow healthy and tall succulent, you should take good care of it. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Press ESC to cancel. Their appearance, shape of trunk, leaves, and stem almost resembles, but the Elephant plant/dwarf jade plant is different from the jade plant. A detailed Guide about Jade plant (crassula Ovata) I use the soak and dry method for watering. Also water the soil with rubbing alcohol to kill any eggs they may have left behind. Along with the proper lighting hours, climate and air, give it feed occasionally. The wetness of soil will tell you that you have overwatered it. You’ll want to only leave 1/2″ to an inch of room around the edges of the pot. I have planted it in clay aggregates and water it sparingly (I live in a very humid climate and we just had the rainiest monsoon in a couple of years ) what should I do? I have this pot full of different succulents and I dont know the names of all of them. Copyright 2013-2020 Succulents and Sunshine LLC. This happens because the roots at the bottom of the plant have developed funguses from being overwatered too many times. Leaves of your. There are many problems with succulents, but if we precisely talk about Portulacaria Afra, there are two main problems. At the first sign of mealy bugs, immediately quarantine your plant away from the others. Keep it somewhere it can receive bright, filtered light, such as a patio. Slowly increase the amount of light it receives each day. your plant will be healthy in no time. #mc_embed_signup{background:#fff; clear:left; font:14px Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; } Maintain the moisture at this stage, by doing this, roots won’t dry out and it will help the roots to grow. Thank you so much! more of a question than comment; i want to plant Elephant plants in 12-15″ die. regards, John G. Elephant plants can grow large, but their root systems aren’t super deep. Overwatering and underwatering, both can cause premature loss of leaves. Min jade’s leaves are thick and heavy because of moisture retention, these leaves are small and round. Along with the many medical and spiritual benefits, indoor bonsai trees are a luxurious home décor item. If you suspect posing (pets), immediately contact the nearby veteran or. It is normal, don’t freak out. Variegated elephant or rainbow is like Portulacaria Afra in many ways. Portulacaria afra needs less frequent watering during its dormancy period. Indoors, it may reach a height and width of 3 feet. Unfortunately your Elephant Bush dropping leaves may be due to under or over watering, making it slightly tricky to determine the cause. I’m not sure what’s going on with mine. So what should I do to remove mealybugs completely and make my plant looks healthy. Thanks for your posts, they’ve helped me tonnes in saving my succulents I am having a problem with my elephant bush plant though :/ it’s branches are going soft and slightly dark, and it doesn’t have too many leaves. If you notice dried, shriveled up leaves in dry soil, chances are your Elephant Bush is under watered. It’s difficult to say without a picture, but it sounds like it may be over-watered. During trimming and pinching, don’t remove all the new growth. Many succulents are toxic and irritant towards pets but portulacaria afra. 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