Tpot Contest No. 11: Say Hello to My Elephant Food

Here's a little beauty I've been growing for about 3 years. I took the photo this morning just as I was on my way to work. The Elephant Food plant is usually grown in South African gardens as a water-wise succulent plant, and grows as large as you let it. Since this plant was specially selected to be grown as a bonsai, soon many of these leaves and stems will be trimmed to create a small treelike structure. I have it growing in my front patio of my house where the rest of my indoor bonsais dwell, where it receives loads of afternoon sun. It appears to be doing better indoors than out.

This plant is popularly called Elephant Food here in South Africa. It is also better known as Portulacaria, after its scientific name Portulacaria afra. The reason we call it Elephant Food is because elephants love to eat them. Very much so is the Addo Elephant, who will eat the plant from the top down and cause the plant to spread horizontally along the ground instead of vertically. Luckily my cutie pie can grow as erect as it wants.

I'm hoping to use the offcuts when I trim the stems during the oncoming winter to grow more of these. They really are wonderful, and if you walk in my area of Cape Town you will find them thriving in almost every garden despite the drought we have. It really is a joy to have.