Temperature
55–85°F
Keep away from winter window glass and heating vents.
Elephant bush
Portulacaria afra
Elephant bush wants direct light and water every 10 to 21 days, once the leaves feel slightly soft rather than firm. Non-toxic to cats and dogs.
Light
Direct
LowMediumBright indirectDirect
A south or west window within two feet. It is not a jade and grows considerably faster than one.
Water
Every 10–21 days
Baseline for a 6-inch pot indoors. Check first: water when the leaves feel slightly soft rather than firm, not on a schedule.
Humidity
20% and up
Fine in normal household air. Prefers 40%.
Difficulty
Easy
Scores 1 of 5: Scores 1 of 5: faster, tougher and more forgiving than the jade it is sold as, roots from any broken piece, and takes hard pruning. A genuinely difficult plant to kill.
Habit
Upright
Grows to 12–72 inches. No support needed.
Non-toxic to cats and dogs
Eating a large amount of any plant can still cause mild stomach upset.
Detail for cats → Detail for dogs →
What each authority says
- ASPCA
- No record page found under any name tested.
- NC State Extension
- No entry found.
Light
Direct light. A south or west window within two feet. It is not a jade and grows considerably faster than one.
Water
Every 10 to 21 days in a 6-inch pot, when the leaves feel slightly soft rather than firm.
Treat the interval as a starting point and the test as the actual instruction. Pot size, light level and season all move the number.
| Method | soak and dry |
|---|---|
| Test before watering | the leaves feel slightly soft rather than firm |
Soil and potting
Two parts cactus mix, one part perlite.
Repot roughly every 3 years, or when roots come through the drainage holes and water runs straight through without absorbing.
Common problems
Ranked by how often each turns out to be the cause for this species. Each links to a diagnosis page with the causes ranked for this species.
- Leaf drop this week
- Root rot act today
- Leggy growth monitor
Pests
Recorded for this species. Each links to identification and treatment.
- Mealybugs this week
- Spider mites act today
Propagation
Stem cutting in soil. Roots in 14 to 28 days.
A cutting without a node will not root. It may stay green in water for months and never produce a single root, because it has no growth point.
| Preferred method | stem cutting |
|---|---|
| Medium | soil |
| Time to root | 14–28 days |
| Node required | Yes |
| Best season | Spring and summer |
Sources
- Wikidata entity Q2481534 — taxonomy and entity identity.
- Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, Plants of the World Online — Portulacaria afra Accepted name; family Didiereaceae. Checked 2026-09-12.
- Photograph: Frank Vincentz, Wikimedia Commons , CC BY-SA 3.0.
Compiled and edited by Tony Valcarcel · 2026-09-02
Tony Valcarcel is the editor and publisher of this database, not a horticulturist
or a veterinarian. Every fact above is drawn from the sources listed, and
toxicity severity is reported only where one of them stated it.
How this is sourced.
Last updated 2026-09-02