Species · Tropicals like ficus and jade
Dwarf jade
Portulacaria afra · also Elephant bush
Dwarf jade is a succulent, not a true woody tree, which makes it exceptionally drought-tolerant and an easy first tropical for a windowsill grower — it stores water in thick, round leaves and a fleshy trunk. Growth is fast for a succulent, backbudding is reliable, and it roots easily from cuttings, so mistakes are cheap to recover from.
Care at a glance
- Watering
- Let it dry out between waterings; a succulent, not a swamp plant. Roughly every 2 days in spring, 2 in summer, 4 in autumn and 10 in winter.
- Light
- Bright light; tolerates full sun once acclimated.
- Winter
- Below this, bring it indoors immediately. Protect it when the forecast drops below 10 °C.
- Feeding
- Every 30 days, Apr to Sep.
- Repotting
- Every 2 to 4 years, once nights stay warm, in Apr or May or Jun.
- Growth
- Fast growing. Hardy in zones 10 to 12.
The work calendar
| Work | JJan | FFeb | MMar | AApr | MMay | JJun | JJul | AAug | SSep | OOct | NNov | DDec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prune | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | ||||||
| Pinch | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep |