Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Variegated Elephant's food
Variegated Elephant's food is the cream-and-green form of elephant's food, with small round leaves edged in cream on reddish-purple stems. It grows slowly and stays smaller than the green form, with stems that can trail over the edge of a pot. Like the green form it is thornless, low water and low litter, so it suits pots near a pool, patio or entry. In the Valley it looks best with some shade from the afternoon sun.
Best for: patio and pool pots, hanging baskets and bright spots with afternoon shade, where its cream-and-green stems can trail over a pot edge.
It grows slowly and is easy to keep in a pot. Like the green form, it has no thorns and very little litter, which suits a pool deck or patio.
Its stems can trail and cascade over the edge of a container. Use cactus mix and a pot with a drainage hole.
It takes heat less well than the green form. In the Valley, give it bright morning light and shade from the hot afternoon sun.
Intense afternoon sun can scorch the leaves. Frost near 30°F damages it. Overwatering makes it drop leaves and can rot the roots.
- Grouped planting1 ft apart
- Full-size plants2 ft apart
Water a new plant to get it rooted. Then water deeply and let the soil dry: about weekly in pots in summer, every 1 to 2 weeks in the ground, and about monthly in winter.
Intense sun can scorch the leaves and make them drop. Give it bright morning light and shade from the hot afternoon sun.
It can be damaged near 30°F. Cover it with frost cloth or a sheet to the ground, move pots under cover, and keep the soil dry in winter.
Check for scale and mealybugs. Overwatering makes it drop leaves and can rot the roots, so let the soil dry between waterings.
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 variegated elephant's food get?
It grows slowly and stays smaller than the green form, often up to about 4 feet outdoors. Pick it for pots and small spaces rather than a large hedge.
How is it different from regular elephant's food?
It has cream and green leaves on reddish-purple stems, grows more slowly and takes heat less well. Give it more afternoon shade than the green form.
Does it need shade in Phoenix?
Yes, some shade helps, because intense sun can scorch the leaves. In the Valley, give it bright morning light and shade from the hot afternoon sun.
How often should I water it?
Water deeply, then let the soil dry. In summer that is about weekly in pots and every 1 to 2 weeks in the ground. In winter, water about once a month.
Why is it dropping leaves?
Overwatering is the usual cause. It drops leaves quickly when kept too wet, and wet soil can rot the roots. Water less and make sure the pot drains.
Is it good near a pool?
Yes. Like the green form, it has no thorns and drops very little litter, which suits a pool deck. Grow it in a pot near the pool.
Can it survive frost?
It can be damaged near 30°F. Cover it with frost cloth on freeze nights, move pots under cover, and keep the soil dry in winter.
What pests bother it?
Watch for scale and mealybugs, and root rot in soil that stays wet. Check new plants for damage from rabbits and javelina.
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.
Variegated Elephant's food for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Variegated Elephant's food is the cream-and-green form of Portulacaria afra. It grows slower and smaller than the green form and trails from pots. This page covers its size, sun and shade in the Valley, water, frost, planting months and soil.
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Variegated vs green elephant's food
The variegated form has cream and green leaves on reddish-purple stems. It grows more slowly, stays smaller and takes heat less well than the green form.
Does variegated elephant's food need shade in Arizona?
Yes, some shade helps, because intense sun can scorch the leaves. Give it bright morning light and shade from the hot afternoon sun.
How often to water variegated elephant's food
Water deeply and let the soil dry. In summer that is about weekly in pots and every 1 to 2 weeks in the ground, and about monthly in winter.
Is rainbow elephant bush frost hardy?
It can be damaged near 30°F. Cover it on freeze nights, keep the soil dry and move pots under cover.
Growing variegated elephant's food in a hanging basket
Its stems can trail over the edge of a basket or pot. Use cactus mix and a container with drainage, and water about weekly in summer.
When to plant variegated 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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