Portulacaria Afra and Elephants

Hi All

I spotted in a thread that some IBC members wanted to see photos of Portulacaria Afra (or Spekboom here in South Africa) in nature. Last Sunday we visited the Addo Elephant Park, where it grows prolifically, and I managed to snap a few pics including some of elephants eating the plants. They are a prime source of sustenance for elephants in the Eastern Cape.

Enjoy.

This one has a diameter of around 200mm at the base.


This is for scale with my wife and daughter. The white arrow indicates the top of the plant.


Here's an elephant about to wipe out the top of the tree.


And this is what it looks like once an elephant is done with it! It propagates very easily and so many of the pieces left lying on the ground root themselves and the plant lives on to feed another elephant some day.

Fascinating!

That's what it is all about! Thanks for sharing the pictures, Marco.

http://www.phoenixbonsai.com/Portulacaria.html

Thanks so much Marco! I was wondering if left to their own deviced they would grow large enough to be small trees, and indeed they seem to (until the elephants get to them of course! ..circle of life!). Great pictures, thank you!

Great pics, thank you Marco!
I see, for the first time, the elephants prunning the bonsai trees, hehe

Taner

God, please let me die.

I have some portulacaria afra. Big. I mean its big. I'm saying people, don't touch, go avay.