All About Growing Portulacaria afra. It is also found in much denser numbers in the dryer southern Cape. [7], This is one of the many plants used as a traditional treatment for skin conditions used by people in rural areas that do not have easy access to more modern medicine. These succulents commonly have a reddish stem and leaves that are green, but also a variegated cultivar is often seen in cultivation. Portulacaria afra. Portulacaria is a common landscape plant in Phoenix, Arizona and southern California, growing in USDA plant hardiness zones 9-11. Water & hunidity Easy to care for and make good houseplants. This colorful succulent garden is a three-dimensional showcase of succulents superbly suited to mild, frost-free regions. In frost-free regions they may be used in outdoor landscaping. The Spekboom is incredibly versatile and can thrive in bright desert conditions or rainforest-type climates, but in your home it prefers being near a brightly lit north or east facing window. It is much hardier, faster growing, more loosely branched, and has more limber tapering branches than Crassula once established. Cuttings root very easily in most potting media. [3] In the dry season, it relies on the CAM pathway due to the lack of water, but when water is reintroduced, the plant quickly reverts to the C3 pathway in order to conserve energy. Portulacaria afra (Porkbush) or “Spekboom“ as we all know it , is one of my favourite specimens to work with. About Portulacaria afra. Dwarf Jade Plant, Miniature Jade, Elephant Bush, Elephant Plant, Elephant’s Food, Porkbush, Spekboom, Yellow Rainbow Bush, Small Leaf Jade. during a Summer Drought and Rewatering", "Influence of Photoperiod and Leaf Age on Crassulacean Acid Metabolism in Portulacaria afra (L.) Jacq", "How shrubs can help solve climate change", "South Africa's Environmental Programmes", "Spekboom (Portulacaria afra) Planting in Degraded Thickets Improves Soil Properties and Vegetation Diversity", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Portulacaria_afra&oldid=997396815, Articles containing Afrikaans-language text, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 31 December 2020, at 08:42. They are simple to care for and make easy houseplants for a sunny location. Luckily, it’s a bonsai plant that has plenty of alternatives (elephant bush, porkbush, dwarf jade plant, and spekboom, in Afrikaans, just to name a few! [8], It is capable of either C3 or CAM carbon fixation, depending on factors such as the season and the age of the leaves. This plant has the … Portulacaria afra (known as elephant bush, dwarf jade plant, porkbush and spekboom in Afrikaans) is a small-leaved succulent plant found in South Africa. – Spekboom is very resilient and can survive frost, drought, and fire – it’s one of the most effective plants at sequestering carbon dioxide from the atmosphere as it is able to use two of the three types of photosynthesis, while most other plants only use one. 176 Plants and their Ways in South Africa Tripteris, Triaspis, Dodunaea, Combretiim (Roodeblad), and Portulacaria (Spekboom) have winged fruits. The word “afra” is in reference to the fact that the plant occurs in Africa. This soft semi-wood evergreen shrub can grow up to 4.5m and creates beautiful flowers loved by bees. Plants and their ways in South Africa. [12][13] The addition of more spekboom into the environment can also help restore native species to areas where they no longer can grow. Spekboom is beautiful when it is in full bloom; the noticeable rosy flowers cover the succulent in a sea of pink. Several varieties exist - some bred in cultivation, others naturally occurring:[6]. It can sequester a maximum of 15.4 t CO2 ha−1yr−1. [5]. See them in gardens large and small, and discover their surprising benefits and attributes. The wonderful pop of colour is a welcome sight in the otherwise green or … https://www.countryliving.com/food-drinks/g1683/delicious-pickled-recipes Scientific Binomial Name. These succulents need well drained soil and an unglazed pot that will help excess moisture evaporate. Hectare for hectare, … Spekboom regenerates quickly, ensuring regular food supply. 2005a, 2005b). P. afra is also used to feed livestock during periods of drought due to its succulent nature. Fights climatic change and improves the quality of breathable air. This drooping canopy also creates shelter, hummus and an ideal micro-climate below and around the shrub, for a variety of smaller types of vegetation to become established, binding the soil to prevent soil erosion. Portulacaria (Port-yoo-luh-CARE-ee-ah) is a small genus of upright, semi-woody succulents indigenous to South Africa.The stems are thick, succulent and brown to burgundy, with small, round jade green leaves. No time to water your garden? Spekboom: Miracle plant and superfood. There are 112 recognized thicket types, each with a different percent cover of spekboom. Small star-shaped pink flowers are borne en masse from late winter to spring although flowering in cultivation is often erratic. In frost-free regions they may be used in outdoor landscaping. 2002). 10th June 2019 | No Comments | Categories: climate change, Forests. Be confused with the jade plant will not colorful succulent garden is a soft-wooded, shrub! 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