Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Dwarf Elephant's Food
Dwarf Elephant's Food is a low, spreading form of elephant's food that works as a succulent groundcover. It stays about 6 to 12 inches tall and spreads up to about 3 feet, with small green leaves on trailing reddish stems. It grows in sun or shade and needs very little water once rooted, with some extra water through the dry summer. It also trails nicely from patio pots and hanging baskets.
Best for: low groundcover in sun or shade, planted 18 to 24 inches apart, plus hanging baskets and patio pots.
It stays low and spreads to cover the ground. Space plants 18 to 24 inches apart, center to center, and they fill in as they grow.
It grows in fairly deep shade as well as full sun, so it works on the shady side of a house. Water it only when the soil is dry.
Its trailing reddish stems spill over the sides of hanging baskets, pots and raised planters. Use cactus mix and a container with drainage.
It can be damaged below about 20 to 25°F. Soggy soil can rot the roots, so water only when the soil has dried.
- Groundcover planting18-24 in apart
- Tight border edging18 in apart
Water a new plant regularly until it roots. After that it needs very little, with some extra water through the dry summer. Let the soil dry between waterings.
It grows in full sun and in fairly deep shade. In either spot, water only when the soil has dried.
It is hardy to about 20 to 25°F. On hard freeze nights, cover it with frost cloth down to the ground and move pots under cover.
Check for scale and mealybugs. Soil that stays wet can rot the roots, so keep watering light.
Drainage test first. Dig the hole and fill it with water. If water is still sitting in the hole a day later, you likely hit caliche, clay or hard soil, so fix the drainage before planting. If it drains very fast, the soil is sandy. Standing water around roots is a common reason new plants fail.
Weed cloth. Cut it away from the planting hole and where the roots will spread. Remove any plastic sheeting completely, since it keeps water and air out of the soil.
Rock or decomposed granite with no soil underneath. Bring in soil close in texture to your native soil, mix it with the soil below, and build up enough depth for roots before planting.
If you can break through. Use a breaker bar, pick, or jackhammer. Dig through the caliche and break out the solid chunks. Backfill with the soil you dug out, with no compost or manure in the hole. Confirm drainage before planting.
If you cannot break through. Dig narrow holes through the hard layer beside the root ball, not under it, and refill them with the same soil, not gravel. If it still will not drain, plant on a low mound of the same soil.
Root ball. Check the outside edges for any roots circling around. Loosen or cut those so they grow outward. Do not break up the center of the root ball.
Depth. The top of the root ball should sit at or just slightly above the surrounding soil level. Planting too deep can lead to rot and kill the plant.
Drip emitters. At planting, put the emitters on the root ball, on different sides of the plant. After about 2 months, move them to the outer edge of the root ball. Over the first year, add emitters farther out toward the edge of the branches as roots grow. Once a plant is rooted, never water only at the trunk.
How big does dwarf elephant's food get?
It stays about 6 to 12 inches tall, often flatter, and spreads up to about 3 feet. Plan it as a groundcover or a trailing pot plant.
How far apart should I plant it for groundcover?
Space plants 18 to 24 inches apart, center to center. The Spacing tab shows the numbers.
Does it grow in shade?
Yes. It grows in sun and in fairly deep shade, so it works on the shady side of a house or under a patio cover.
How much water does it need?
It needs very little water once rooted. Water it in until it roots, then give it some extra water through the dry summer. Let the soil dry between waterings.
How is it different from regular elephant's food?
It has smaller leaves and stays low and spreading, instead of growing into a 3 to 5 foot shrub. Choose it for groundcover and baskets.
Can it handle frost?
It is hardy to about 20 to 25°F. On hard freeze nights, cover it with frost cloth or a sheet to the ground, and move pots under cover.
Is it good near a pool?
Yes. Elephant's food has no thorns and drops very little litter, and it is listed as pool friendly. Use this low form as groundcover or in pots near the pool.
Does it flower?
It can make tiny lavender flowers in summer, but it is grown for its leaves and trailing stems.
When is the best time to plant it?
Plant it in March or April, after frost danger, so it roots in before summer. September and October also work. Avoid planting in the summer heat.
Dwarf Elephant's Food for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Dwarf Elephant's Food is the low, trailing form of Portulacaria afra, used as a succulent groundcover and in hanging baskets. Here is what to expect in the Valley, from size and spacing to sun or shade, water, frost, planting months and soil.
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How far apart do you plant dwarf elephant's food?
Plant it 18 to 24 inches apart, center to center, for groundcover. Each plant spreads up to about 3 feet and stays under about a foot tall.
Succulent groundcover for shade in Arizona
Dwarf elephant's food grows in fairly deep shade as well as sun. It is a low-water groundcover for shady beds and the shady side of a house.
Dwarf vs regular elephant's food
Regular elephant's food grows into a shrub about 3 to 5 feet tall. The dwarf form has smaller leaves and stays low, spreading as a groundcover or trailing from pots.
How often to water dwarf elephant's food
Water it in until rooted. After that it needs very little water, with some extra through the dry summer. Let the soil dry between waterings.
Is dwarf elephant's food frost hardy?
It is hardy to about 20 to 25°F. Cover it with frost cloth on hard freeze nights and keep the soil dry in winter.
When to plant dwarf elephant's food in the Valley
Plant it in March or April after frost danger, or in September and October. Summer planting is hardest on young plants.
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