Portulacaria fruticulosa

A small, gnarled succulent shrub from the hot, very dry rocky hills of the Richtersveld and southern Namibia, formerly placed in Ceraria. It gets well under 100 mm of rain a year, so it wants intense sun, a lean mineral mix and very sparing water.

At home, aim for

Day Cool-growingTargets in Plantistry

Night Close to the dayTargets in Plantistry

Humidity Dry airBand in Plantistry

Light Full sunDLI and PPFD in Plantistry

Expects a seasonal restGrows in the ground

Where it grows wild

Grows on rocky slopes, ridges and in crevices in arid succulent scrub, often among quartz or granite boulders. Habitat here is generalised from the former Ceraria group and the measured sites.

Recorded at about 300–920 m; only three records carry an elevation.

Cape ProvincesNamibia

🔒 Growing it like that

The wild conditions above, turned into targets for a shelf, a tent or a greenhouse. The full profile has:

✓ Day and night temperature targets, and the limits it tolerates

✓ Humidity band, and how to hold it

✓ Light as DLI and PPFD for a grow light

✓ Wet and dry seasons, and whether to rest it

✓ Substrate and airflow

✓ A step-by-step setup to grow it like the wild

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More Portulacaria

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Profiles are drafts built from measured range and climate and from published sources; each section carries its own confidence in the app. Photo from Wikimedia Commons, used under its CC BY-SA 2.0 licence, unmodified.