Portulacaria afra Variegata

Portulacaria afra 'Variegata' is a succulent shrub with a bonsai-like appearance, distinguishing itself from the type species by its trailing habit and light green foliage variegated with cream, making it a stunning addition to hanging baskets. This long-lived perennial develops well-branched stems of a reddish-brown colour that enhance the bright colouration of its fleshy leaves. It is a variety with reduced growth, slow and easy to maintain, mainly suitable for indoor cultivation due to its low hardiness.

Portulacaria afra 'Variegata' belongs to the same family as purslanes, the Portulacaceae. It is a succulent shrub native to southeastern Africa, capable of reaching a height of 4 m (13 ft) and living up to 50 years. Sometimes called "purslane tree", it is more often confused with the jade plant or Crassula ovata because it also resembles a dwarf tree, but with much thinner and smaller leaves. It is an ornamental plant that is often cultivated as hedges and topiaries in warm climates, but its foliage constitutes 80% of the diet of elephants in South Africa. It tolerates direct sunlight but thrives better under strong indirect light. It is a plant that enjoys full light and is relatively resistant to drought, but it also appreciates a bit of freshness, especially during the growth period. Being perfectly tolerant of pruning, it is mainly cultivated as a bonsai, in a pot under a greenhouse, in a conservatory, or indoors, as it loses its foliage at temperatures below -2 °C (28.4 °F).

Portulacaria afra 'Variegata' is a cultivar that distinguishes itself from the type species by its prostrate habit, variegated cream foliage, and less vigorous growth. It has a trunk and succulent, thick, and stout stems with a very decorative reddish-brown bark that exfoliates and turns grey-brown with age. Slow-growing, it eventually forms a clump 2 m (7 ft) tall and 1 m (3 ft) wide. Its branched clump bears fleshy, obovate to rounded leaves, without petioles, measuring 1 to 3 cm (0.4 to 1 in) in diameter, light green with cream margins. In its natural habitat, this plant blooms after the spring rains from May to June, with terminal clusters of very pale pink flowers edged in dark pink, similar in shape to its foliage below, but very rare in our climates.

Frost-sensitive, Portulacaria afra 'Variegata' should be planted in a pot that will be stored away at the arrival of the first cold weather and kept dry until the vegetation resumes in spring. It can be combined with other succulent plants such as sedums, purslanes, and Echeverias to create miniature dry gardens, or placed in a large pot on a veranda or window sill.