Portulacaria afra latin
spekboom SAE

Portulacaria afra Jacq.

In cultivation, it requires extremely well-drained soil, and is usually grown grafted onto a root-stock of the more resilient Portulacaria afra.

Cyclamen, bulbs (hyacinths, jonquils, freesias etc), cymbidium and dendrobium orchids, cumquats, gardenia, hoya and jade plant (Portulacaria afra) will be good tempered for a few weeks, as long as they can go home outdoors afterwards.

Another approach is to contrast blue senecio with red-leafed aloes, lavender 'Afterglow' echeverias, orange pencil plant (Euphorbia tirucalli 'Sticks on Fire'), a variegated plant commonly called elephant food or elephant bush (Portulacaria afra 'Variegata') or the burgundy-leafed aeonium called 'Zwartkop.'

Towards the southern coast, the vegetation is again dominated by shrubs in ecological communities known as thicket and noorsveld, where succulent species such as Euphorbia, Aloe, and Portulacaria afra are common, as well as Cape honeysuckle Tecoma capensis and Cape leadwort Plumbago auriculata.