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Portulacaria namaquensis
Also called Namaqualand Ceraria
Namaqua spekboom is a slow-growing, deciduous succulent shrub from the arid Orange River border of South Africa and Namibia, and this entry covers the species Portulacaria namaquensis. Its key to success is very fast-draining soil and minimal water, and it is often grafted onto the hardier Portulacaria afra.
Portulacaria namaquensis, synonym Ceraria namaquensis, with the common names Namaqua porkbush and Namaqua portulacaria, is a species of succulent shrub, native to the border between the Cape Provinces of South Africa and Namibia.
Its native habitat is an extremely arid, winter-rainfall area. In cultivation, it requires extremely well-drained soil, and is usually grown grafted onto a root-stock of the more resilient Portulacaria afra.
The natural habitat of this species extends along the Orange River valley, along the border between Namibia and South Africa. It has also been recorded near the coast slightly further north in Namibia.
Elephant bush · Whip porkbush · Portulacaria carrissoana · Dwarf Porkbush · Kaoko porkbush · Pygmy Porkbush · Spekbooms
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Portulacaria namaquensis by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
