Scientific Name
Portulacaria afra ‘Medio-picta’
Common Names
Midstripe Rainbow Bush
Synonyms
Portulacaria ‘Roulant’
Scientific Classification
Family: Portulacaceae
Subfamily: Portulacarioideae
Genus: Portulacaria
Description
Portulacaria afra ‘Medio-picta’ is a very slow growing succulent shrub with attractive bright reddish pink stems, holding small 0.5 inch (1.2 cm) long, ovate, green leaves that have wide white stripes down their middle, sometimes with leaves having little or no green. Flowers are pink, star-shaped and in small clusters.
Photo via zengardentr.com
How to Grow and Care
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. 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 are dormant and you may suspend watering. Elephant Bush plants in the home interior should not have consistently wet feet. Make sure the pot drains well and don’t leave a saucer with water sitting under the container. Fertilize in late winter to early spring with an indoor plant fertilizer diluted by half.
Like most succulents, Elephant Bush is easy to reproduce from cuttings. Take cuttings in spring or summer for best results. Let the cutting dry out and callous for a couple of days and then plant the cutting in damp gritty soil in a small pot… – See more at: How to Grow and Care for an Elephant Bush (Portulacaria afra).
Origin
Garden origin.
Links
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