Portulacaria is a perennial, succulent plant that forms an attractive bush or small tree. It is easy to trim and form a crown, so the portulacaria is often depicted in the form of a bonsai in the photo. Florists love this unpretentious plant for its undemanding nature and elegant shape. It lives in the arid prairies of South Africa.
Botanical Description
Portulacaria belongs to the Portulacov family, in its genus there is only one species of plant. It is a succulent evergreen perennial. Porulacaria rhizome is quite powerful, it can nourish it even in extreme conditions. Branched, fleshy shoots covered with dense, smooth bark are located above the ground. On young plants, the bark is colored light brown or gray, but gradually it darkens. The annual growth of shoots is insignificant, so indoor portulacaria remains a compact bush for a long time, although in the natural environment it can reach a height of 2-3 m
Leaves are located only on young branches. Arboreal rounded or oblong foliage has smooth edges. The leaflets are 2-3 cm long and 1-2 cm wide. The leaves are thickened and covered with a dense, waxy skin of bright green color.
Flowering occurs in February and April. On young branches, axillary, spike-shaped inflorescences appear. They consist of many white and pink five-petalled flowers resembling small stars. The diameter of the flower is 2.5 cm, and the length of the entire inflorescence does not exceed 7-8 cm. Juicy berries with pink skin later ripen in place of the flowers. In nature, they, along with leaves, serve as food for elephants and other animals. Flowering can be regular only in adult plants in vivo. Indoor portulacaria rarely delight the hosts with flowers.
Known Varieties
According to nerds, only one species is present in the genus of portulakaria - portulacaria african or afra. In nature, it is a tall shrub or succulent tree with a spreading crown. Its height can reach 3.5 m. The leaves are teardrop-shaped and painted in light green. The surface of the fleshy leaves is plain, covered with shiny skin. Smooth grayish stems become covered with wrinkled bark of dark brown color with age.
To diversify the offer and allow gardeners to buy portulacaria with a more interesting appearance, the botanists produced the following varieties:
- Portulacaria variegate. The plant does not exceed 1 m in height. Oblong leaflets in the center are painted in bright green color, and are edged with a silver stripe along the edge. Many thin, perpendicular strokes are drawn from the edge to the core.
- Portulacaria variegate tricolor. In the colors of the plant, in addition to white and green, pink shades are present. Leaflets have a whitish middle and darker, greenish edges. The stems and the edge of the foliage are painted bright pink.
Breeding methods
Reproduction of portulacaria is done by vegetative and seed methods. To root the cuttings, thick stems 12-15 cm long are cut; at least four leaves should be on them. The slice is made at an angle with a sharp blade. The cut site is sprinkled with crushed charcoal and left to dry in air for 7-14 days. When the slice is tightened with a thin film with whitish spots, the stalk can be planted in a moistened sand-peat mixture.
While rooting, seedlings must be kept in a bright room with an air temperature of + 25 ° C. Usually this process takes about a month. Transplanting cuttings to a permanent place is possible only 2 months after planting in the ground.
You can speed up and simplify the rooting process by layering. Without separating the stem from the mother plant, it is pressed to the ground. After the emergence of young roots, you can cut off the shoot and transplant it into a separate container.
Growing seedlings from seeds is also quite simple. This method allows you to immediately get a large number of plants. It is enough to sow the seeds in a mixture of sand with peat and cover with a film. The greenhouse should be aired and moistened as it dries. After 2-3 weeks, the first shoots appear, and after another month, the seedlings can grow independently and without shelter.
Care Rules
Caring for portulacaria is not difficult. She is used to the difficult conditions of hot prairies, so she is a very undemanding plant. Portulacaria needs bright lighting, direct sunlight is simply necessary for the leaves. The hard peel is resistant to burns, so you do not need to worry about their condition. You can safely put pots on the windowsills of the southern rooms. In order for the crown to develop evenly, it is recommended to periodically rotate the plant.
Portulacaria normally perceives summer heat. A stuffy room is recommended to ventilate more often. You can take out a pot with a plant in the garden or on the balcony for the summer. In winter, a slight drop in temperature is allowed, but cooling below + 10 ° C will lead to the death of leaves and death of the tree.
Water portulacaria with caution. For irrigation use warm water without chlorine. Rigidity does not play a special role. Between watering the land should dry out almost completely. Succulent stems store enough water to prevent the plant from dying even in severe drought.
Humidity for portulacaria does not matter. It normally exists near batteries and near an aquarium. With high humidity, air roots can appear on the stems. From time to time, you can rinse the shoots in the shower to get rid of dust.
In the spring and summer, it is useful to fertilize portulacaria. For this, top dressing for succulents with a low nitrogen content is used. Fertilizer is added to water for irrigation, otherwise you can burn the roots.
Transplantation is rare enough, as portulacaria slowly builds up its root mass. When the rhizome takes up free space, the earthen lump is carefully transferred into a new pot. You can’t take a large tub at once, this will provoke decay of the rhizome. A thick layer of drainage is laid at the bottom of the tank. Planting soil should contain the following components:
- river sand;
- garden soil;
- leaf soil;
- charcoal.
You can buy ready-made soil for cacti in the store and add some sand to it. The soil reaction should be neutral or slightly acidic.
Possible difficulties
Portulacaria has strong immunity, rare difficulties can be associated with improper care:
- loss of motley coloring or yellowing of leaves occurs due to lack of light;
- the stems are greatly elongated with an excess of nitrogenous fertilizers;
- the blackened base of the stem along with drooping leaves indicates the development of rot due to improper watering.
Traces of parasites can sometimes be found on lush foliage. Especially often this happens with plants in the fresh air. If scabs, mealybug or spider mites are found, it is recommended to treat the shoots with an insecticide.
