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elephants food succulent

elephants food succulent Buy Elephant's Food Phoenix, AZ | Portulacaria afra

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elephants food succulent Buy Elephant's Food Phoenix, AZ | Portulacaria afraThe Best Drought Tolerant Privacy Shrub for Phoenix & Scottsdale Elephant's Food (Portulacaria afra) is Phoenix's #1 choice for a fast growing, ultra low water privacy shrub that delivers lush, year round structure with virtually no maintenance. This South African native reaches 815 feet tall with dense, succulent foliage on eye catching reddish brown stems creating a thick, living wall that thrives in the most punishing Arizona heat. Whether you're

The Best Drought-Tolerant Privacy Shrub for Phoenix & Scottsdale

Elephant's Food (Portulacaria afra) is Phoenix's #1 choice for a fast-growing, ultra-low-water privacy shrub that delivers lush, year-round structure with virtually no maintenance. This South African native reaches 8–15 feet tall with dense, succulent foliage on eye-catching reddish-brown stems — creating a thick, living wall that thrives in the most punishing Arizona heat. Whether you're building a privacy screen in Scottsdale, a poolside backdrop in Chandler, or a sculptural accent in Mesa or Gilbert — Elephant's Food delivers outstanding results on minimal water and care.

Elephant's Food Plant Details

Attribute Detail
Scientific Name Portulacaria afra
Common Names Elephant's Food, Elephant Bush, Spekboom, Porkbush
Mature Height 8–15 feet
Mature Width 8–15 feet
Growth Rate Fast — 1–2 feet per year in Phoenix conditions
Sun Full sun to partial shade. Thrives with reflected heat from walls and hardscape.
Water Very low once established. One of Arizona's most drought-tolerant shrubs.
USDA Zones 9–11 (Phoenix is Zone 9b–10a)
Soil Well-draining. Highly adaptable to Arizona caliche soils.
Foliage Evergreen — small, round succulent leaves; reddish-brown stems year-round
Bloom Color Pink (small star-shaped flowers in spring)
Native Region South Africa (proven performer in desert climates worldwide)

Elephant's Food Uses in Phoenix Landscapes

Privacy Hedge and Screening

Elephant's Food is one of the fastest ways to build a dense privacy screen in the Phoenix Valley. With its thick, succulent foliage and upright growth habit, it forms an impenetrable green wall that blocks sightlines from neighboring homes, streets, and pools. Plant 4–5 feet apart for a fast hedge, or 6–8 feet apart for a looser screen. Density guide: 20 ft fence — 5 plants / 40 ft fence — 10 plants. Pair with Texas Sage or Desert Spoon for a layered desert look that's both beautiful and functional.

Poolside Planting

Elephant's Food is one of the best plants for pool-adjacent landscaping in Scottsdale, Phoenix, and Tempe. Its succulent leaves don't drop in ways that clog filters, it handles reflected heat and water splashing without complaint, and its root system is non-invasive. The reddish stems and green foliage create a lush, tropical look that makes pool areas feel like resort-style retreats. It pairs beautifully with Ruellia or Bird of Paradise for a bold, colorful poolside planting.

Sculptural Accent and Modern Desert Design

Few plants offer the sculptural quality of a mature Elephant's Food. The twisted reddish branches and dense round leaves create striking architectural interest whether planted as a single specimen, used as a backdrop, or trained into a multi-trunk tree form. In modern desert landscapes across Chandler, Peoria, and Glendale, Elephant's Food is increasingly used as a high-impact focal point surrounded by decomposed granite or black gravel. For a bolder statement, pair it with a giant agave or sculptural cactus.

Wildlife-Friendly and Eco-Landscape

Elephant's Food is a proven wildlife magnet in Phoenix yards. Hummingbirds, native bees, and butterflies flock to the small pink spring flowers, and birds use the dense canopy for nesting and shelter. It's also one of the most carbon-sequestering plants on the planet — Spekboom forests in South Africa are celebrated for their ability to capture CO₂ at rates rivaling forests. If you're building a pollinator garden in Gilbert or Mesa, Elephant's Food belongs on your list.

Best Time to Plant Elephant's Food in Phoenix

Fall (October–November) is the ideal planting window. Warm soil temperatures encourage rapid root development, while cooler air temperatures reduce transplant stress. A fall-planted Elephant's Food gets 6–8 months of root establishment before its first Phoenix summer, setting it up to thrive for decades. Spring (February–April) is the second-best window. Avoid summer planting if possible — if you must plant in summer, provide afternoon shade for the first few weeks and water more frequently until the plant is established.

How to Plant Elephant's Food

  1. Dig wide, not deep — excavate a hole 2–3 times the width of the root ball and the same depth. Wide holes encourage lateral root spread.
  2. Check for caliche — break through any hardpan caliche layer to ensure water can drain freely. Poor drainage is the #1 killer of Elephant's Food in Arizona.
  3. Backfill with native soil — Portulacaria afra thrives in lean soil. A light 20% organic amendment is fine, but avoid heavy compost or peat.
  4. Spacing — 4–5 feet apart for a dense privacy hedge; 6–8 feet apart for a looser screen; 8–10 feet apart for individual specimens.
  5. Water basin — build a 3–4 inch raised ring of soil around the outer edge of the root zone to direct irrigation water to the roots during establishment.
  6. Mulch — apply 2–3 inches of bark mulch or gravel around the base to retain moisture, regulate soil temperature, and suppress weeds. Keep mulch 2–3 inches away from the trunk.

Watering Elephant's Food in Phoenix

First Year Watering Schedule

Consistent watering during the first year is critical to successful establishment, even for a drought-tolerant plant like Elephant's Food:

  • Weeks 1–2: Water every 1–2 days, deep and slow (20–30 minutes per session)
  • Month 1–2: Reduce to every 3–4 days as roots begin to spread
  • Month 3–6: Every 7–10 days (increase to every 5–7 days during peak summer heat above 110°F)
  • After Year 1: Every 10–14 days in summer; every 3–4 weeks in winter. Established plants handle long dry stretches with ease.

Drip Irrigation

Place drip emitters 18–24 inches from the trunk and use 1–2 GPH emitters per plant. Run for 30–45 minutes per session to ensure deep penetration. Once established, Elephant's Food requires very little supplemental irrigation in Phoenix and can often survive on rainfall alone in non-peak months — one of the most water-efficient large shrubs available in the Valley.

How fast does Elephant's Food grow in Phoenix?
In Phoenix's warm climate and full sun, Elephant's Food typically grows 1–2 feet per year. With regular water during the first two years, some plants can grow even faster, reaching 6–8 feet in just 3–4 years.

Is Elephant's Food truly drought tolerant once established?
Yes — once established (typically after 12–18 months), Portulacaria afra is one of the most drought-tolerant large shrubs available for Phoenix landscapes. Its succulent leaves store water, allowing it to withstand extended dry periods. It may drop some leaves during extreme drought but will rebound quickly once watered.

What's the difference between Elephant's Food and Elephant Bush?
They're the same plant. Portulacaria afra goes by many common names — Elephant's Food, Elephant Bush, Spekboom, and Porkbush are all the same species. At Three Timbers, we also carry a Variegated Elephant's Food with cream and green leaves, which is a slightly slower-growing variety with the same tough characteristics.

Can Elephant's Food handle Phoenix's reflected heat?
Absolutely. Portulacaria afra is native to the harsh, rocky hillsides of South Africa and was built for intense sun and radiant heat. It thrives planted against stucco walls, along south-facing fences, and in areas that would stress most other plants. It's one of the few large shrubs that can handle Phoenix's worst west-facing exposures.

Does Elephant's Food work near pools?
Yes — it's one of the best pool-adjacent plants in the Phoenix area. Its succulent leaves don't create significant litter, its roots are non-invasive, and it handles water splash and humidity without issues. It's a popular choice for creating resort-style poolscapes in Scottsdale and Paradise Valley.

You May Also Like

Variegated Elephant's Food — The same tough, water-wise species in a striking cream-and-green variegated form, perfect for a brighter, more decorative look.

Dwarf Elephant's Food — A compact, slower-growing variety that tops out around 4–5 feet, ideal for borders, containers, and smaller spaces.

Texas Sage — A native desert shrub with silvery foliage and purple blooms that pairs beautifully with Elephant's Food in privacy hedges and mixed borders.

Desert Spoon (Dasylirion) — A bold, architectural accent plant that complements the round, soft foliage of Elephant's Food with dramatic spiky structure.

Ruellia (Mexican Petunia) — A low-growing, prolific bloomer that pairs well at the feet of Elephant's Food hedges for a colorful, layered effect.

How Many Elephant's Food Do I Need?

For a fast privacy screen, space plants 4 to 5 feet on center. For a looser informal screen or where you want each plant to show its sculptural form, use 6 to 8 feet.

Screen run length Dense hedge (4 ft) Loose screen (6 ft)
20 ft 5 plants 4 plants
40 ft 10 plants 7 plants
60 ft 15 plants 10 plants

As a single specimen or multi-trunk feature, give it 8 to 10 feet of clearance so the twisted reddish branches can spread.

Elephant's Food Season-by-Season in Phoenix

  • Spring (Feb–Apr): Strong growth flush and small pink star flowers that draw bees and hummingbirds. Best second planting window after fall.
  • Summer (May–Sep): Peak growth in extreme and reflected heat, even on west-facing walls. Very low water once established. Monsoon humidity poses no problem for these waxy succulent leaves.
  • Fall (Oct–Nov): Prime planting season. Growth continues in the warm soil, giving roots months to establish before winter.
  • Winter (Dec–Jan): Evergreen and steady, but frost-sensitive. Tips and leaves can burn below about 28 to 30°F. In low desert cold snaps, cover young plants or expect cosmetic tip damage that flushes out again in spring.

At a Glance

✔ Evergreen   ✔ Drought-Tolerant   ✔ Heat-Loving (Reflected-Heat Tolerant)   ✔ Pool-Friendly (Low-Litter)   ✔ Pollinator-Friendly   ✔ Hummingbird-Friendly   ✔ Low-Maintenance   ✔ Edible

Plant It With

  • Variegated Elephant's Food: the same tough species in cream and green for a brighter accent in the same bed.
  • Dwarf Elephant's Food: a low, spreading form that layers neatly at the feet of the tall hedge.
  • Texas Sage: silver foliage and purple blooms for color contrast along a privacy screen.
  • Desert Spoon: spiky architectural form that plays off the soft round succulent leaves.

Is Elephant's Food Right for Your Yard?

It thrives in full sun and brutal reflected heat, drains-happy caliche, and needs almost no water once established, making it one of the best fast privacy shrubs in the low desert. The one caveat is frost: it is tender below about 28 to 30°F, so in cold pockets plan to cover young plants on hard frost nights or accept some tip burn that regrows in spring. Not the best fit for a spot that stays wet or poorly drained, since soggy roots will rot a succulent like this.

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B
Bill Muehlenberg
Pawtucket, US
★★★★★ 5
Another welcome Pillar commentary
Format: Hardcover
The newest volume in the excellent Pillar New Testament Commentary series is another first-rate effort. The American New Testament professor has already done a very good commentary on 1-3 John (BECNT, 2008). His newest commentary adds to a now rather impressive line-up of Pillar commentaries. As to the Pastorals, the four most important and substantial commentaries from a basically conservative, evangelical stance over the past few decades have been these: 1992: George Knight (NIGTC – 500 pages) 2000: Jerome Quinn and William Wacker (ECC – 900 pages) 2000: William Mounce (WBC – 640 pages) 2006: Philip Towner (NICNT – 900 pages) Mention should also be made of two other commentaries. One is the 1999 volume by I. Howard Marshall (with Philip Towner) in the ICC series. It is also 900 pages and looks to be outstanding. But I do not own it (the ICC series is SO expensive), so I cannot comment further on it. Another is the shorter, 300+ page work by Gordon Fee (NIBC, 1984) which can also be added to any list of highly recommended volumes on the Pastorals. Now we have Yarbrough to join these important works. He provides us with a very workable, informed and detailed examination of the Pastoral Epistles. He spends 95 of his 600 pages on introductory matters. As to authorship, it has become somewhat trendy of late to deny Pauline authorship. Even some conservatives have gone in this direction Yarbrough offers ten pages on this, and affirms the traditional stance, saying: “For eighteen centuries, Pauline authorship was never doubted by the churches’ intellectual leaders; even in the last two centuries, many have doubted the doubters.” As to the commentary proper, one tends to first head to well-known, contentious, difficult, or important passages. So let me reflect on a few of these. One of the most hotly debated passages in the Pastorals of course has to do with the matter of women in leadership. Paul covers this in several places, but the most crucial passage is 1 Timothy 2:11-15. This is certainly a difficult passage in many respects, and one that is hotly debated. The two main camps on this have been the complementarians, who argue that men and women are equal in worth and status, but have differing, hierarchical roles, and the egalitarians, who argue that women can fully serve in church leadership positions. This debate has been going on for quite some time now. Because all of 1 Tim. 2 must be considered here (dealing as it does with propriety in public worship), Yarbrough has a lengthy general discussion about these issues first. He then devotes another 20 pages to the actual contentious passage. He offers a “qualified complementarian reading” on all this. Egalitarians may not fully agree, but they should appreciate his careful and gracious exegesis here. And of course he has written on this elsewhere, as in his chapter in the important volume edited by Kostenberger and Schreiner: Women in the Church, 3rd ed. (Crossway, 1995, 2016). Another issue that can be rather difficult to understand and deal with concerns those who “have suffered shipwreck with regard to the faith. Among them are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan to be taught not to blaspheme” (1 Tim 1:18-20). Paul says something similar in 1 Cor. 5. Says Yarbrough, “From these two passages it may be inferred that in grave cases of ethical or doctrinal lapse, and perhaps drawing on Job 2:6, Satan was viewed as ‘God’s agent in judicial administration.’ Whereas congregations would normally have prayed for one another, there were evidently cases where petition would shift from divine protection to divine discipline (with Satan as God’s agent). Sometimes harsh measures are required to wake people up (see 2 Thess. 3:10-14).” Since discussions about overseers are found in all three epistles, both Paul and Yarbrough spend much time on the topic. In one of the passages he makes this remark: “In sum, ‘the overseer is to be’ introduces more than a random wish list for the pastorally inclined do-gooder. It points to a quality and depth of godliness that are indiscernible for the magnitude and gravity of pastoral labor that Paul models, expects of Timothy, and hopes to see replicated in generations to come at Ephesus and beyond.” Two more issues that can be contentious for some is found in 1 Tim. 5:23: “Stop drinking only water, and use a little wine because of your stomach and your frequent illnesses.” Some teetotallers try to argue that this is not actual wine, but watered down grape juice. And some of the health and wealth gospellers insist that no faith-filled believer should ever get sick. Yarbrough gives short shrift to both of these ideas. Another famous passage dealing with wealth is 1 Tim. 6:6-10 which speaks of false teachers and the love of money. Yarbrough affirms the biblical balance Paul seeks to present here: “Birth and death both illustrate the tenuous relation between life and material goods. Paul wants to relativize (not trivialize or eliminate) the importance of earthly acquisitions, since he observes people tempted to enlist God in their material quest. . . . It is important to note that this is not an adoption of an ideal of Hellenistic philosophy. Nor is it an endorsement of poverty. . . . If God does grant wealth, and if a believer has not sold his or her soul to acquire it, Paul will later give directions for its proper utilization (see on vv. 17-19 below).” Other matters could be mentioned here. But all up this is a very competent and usable commentary, one that will stand the test of time. It offers careful exegesis and helpful theological insights. It is a very welcome addition to the Pillar series. The PNTC series really has become one of the premier sets for evangelicals and those who want the best of biblical scholarship and careful exegesis.
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on November 11, 2018
J
Jimmy R. Reagan
Louisville, US
★★★★★ 5
Great, New Commentary!
Format: Hardcover
This commentary by Robert Yarbrough will become, I predict, a top-rated volume on the Pastoral Epistles. These epistles are ideal for the style of commentary we find in the Pillar New Testament Commentary (PNTC) series. As respected and valuable as the NICNT volumes by the same publisher are, these Pillar volumes are simply more valuable. They have a better center of focus, are more consistently conservative, and have more value for pastors without sacrificing scholarship. This volume succeeds in reaching that standard too. As you might have guessed, the editorship of D. A. Carson likely keeps this series moored to that lofty perch. BTW, don’t miss the editor’s preface where Carson fawns over Yarbrough’s work here. I was in love with this commentary within a few pages of its fine Introduction. So many commentators lose their way in the Pastoral Epistles. I have long suspected that it has far more to do with the authors dislike of what these epistles say rather than any actual problem found within them. Yarbrough is not sucked into the irrational fear of using the term “pastoral epistles” as so many are today either. It’s a breath of fresh air. He opens the Introduction with eight theses on pastoral heritage in these epistles. To my mind, that was a great way to present introductory issues. Next, he does a section each on Father, Son, and Spirit respectively in the Pastoral Epistles (PE). He was particularly perceptive in discussing Paul as a working pastor, even dispensing some silly critical theories along the way. He then tackles in turn geography, people, and key terms. He ends with a section on authorship and other usual introductory matters and masterfully reaches conservative conclusions. The commentary itself was even better! The phrase “real help” comes to mind. He showed off his skill, for example, in the perpetual battlefield of Titus 2. He gently yet surefootedly takes us where that disliked passage goes. He’s kind to dissenters, careful in scholarship, but not afraid to reach a conclusion. I don’t know about you, but that’s how I like my commentaries. 5 stars all the way!
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Reviewed in the United States on October 11, 2018
K
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Kathya1010
Boise, US
★★★★★ 4
A Thorough Commentary that Needs Less Neutrality
Format: Kindle
Dr. Yarbrough has addressed the meaning of the Pastoral Epistles with the excellence we have have come to expect from him. However, sometimes he seems reluctant to take a stand on some controversial issues (other than on Pauline authorship and matters of basic Christian orthodoxy, to both of which he is correctly firmly committed). When several possibilities of meaning are possible, for example, it would be helpful to know which hypothesis he favors, and why. While occasionally he does state a definitive opinion, more often he does not, perhaps in a laudable but somewhat overdone effort to avoid controversy with fellow theologians. However, when one reads a 1000+ page commentary written at a scholarly level, one expects the author to give his or her expert opinion on such matters—indeed, it is a major reason that one purchases and studies a commentary. To conclude on a more positive note, Dr. Yarbrough’s observations on Greek word usage, including numerous Old Testament passages from the Septuagint, the Apostolic Fathers and apocryphal works, were very helpful in aiding the reader in understanding fine shades of meaning. His pastoral observations and deductions based on the text are simply excellent. His discussions of the strengths and weaknesses commonly encountered in Christian leaders in Western countries versus those observed in leaders from other nations were fascinating and edifying, not to mention occasionally convicting (in a good way)—even for readers who aren’t pastors, like me.
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Reviewed in the United States on November 25, 2025
N
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Nicholas Quient
Omaha, US
★★★★★ 1
Unimpressive
Format: Hardcover
Concerning various controversial questions of like Pauline authorship and women in ministry, Yarbrough's commentary is lackluster, polemical, and altogether dismissive of large swaths of evangelical scholarship that run counter to his claims. There are better commentaries from an evangelical perspective (I. Howard Marshall, Philip Towner) that seriously address such questions without resorting to hand-waving. Overall, an unimpressive and polemical work that is superseded by better words.
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Reviewed in the United States on September 10, 2019
K
Verified Purchase
Kailey Goodman
Draper, US
★★★★★ 5
Great for NP school
Format: Paperback
This is very informative and easy to read! No fluff but just the nitty gritty of what you need to know
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Reviewed in the United States on May 13, 2025

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