Everywhere I read, it says this plant works well with neglect and I am so good at neglecting plants! But for some reason, this plant is just getting worse and worse and is on its last leg. Please help! People keep telling me to water it but I keep reading that during this time they only need water like once a month. Do you think this guy has a fighting chance? ?
Over watering is the most common reason for the loss of this type of succulent.
Make sure the soil is well draining. The article below will give you a good review of the care requirements.
Your plant still shows some sign of life, so it may recover with some time.
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/cacti-succulents/portulacaria/growing-elephant-bush.htm
I have tons of succulents that I bring inside for the winter because I live in wisconsin. All of my succulents are in windows and do really well, I have been watering about every 3 weeks and all are doing well except for the partularia which are losing all of their leaves. Am I not watering enough? Thanks
These are a bit sensitive to bright light and cool temperatures. The most common cause for leaf drop is too much sunlight. They need to be in an area that is bright, but is not receiving direct light. This article will help: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/cacti-succulents/portulacaria/growing-elephant-bush.htm
Hello, can you help me, my elephant plant has grown a flower that is now 2 days old and I need to know what to do as I don’t want to lose it?
I have an alocasia just like that! It is a wonderfully easy plant to care for. The flowers won't last too long, but they are self fertile. Once the pod starts to split after the flowers drops, then you can plant the fresh seeds immediately. If they dry out they will no longer be viable to grow. You won't have to do anything until the flower starts to die, and the seed pod swells.
Hi! My name is Almudena, I live in Spain and I've had an elephant bush plant for two years now in my terrace in Madrid. It was really small at the beginning and grew up very big but recently and after heavy rains in Madrid it is covered with this brown spots... I was told in a shop that it could be a bacteria and they recommend me to use copper eventually (but I don't know in which proportion)... The name of the one that I bought is Copper Fungicide Drycop 50 DF. Could you help me please? Will it eventually go away by itself? It has begun to affect the other plants in my terrace... Thanks and congrats for your website. Almudena
This will not go away on its own. You can use copper fungicides, although many plants are very sensitive to these. So I would test it on a small area before hand to make sure. I actually recommend a much more gentle method. Dolomitic lime and wettable sulfur will kill off the infection, as well as recondition the soil back to a more fertile condition.
Copper fungicides can make the soil very toxic if used improperly. You will need to follow all instructions very carefully, and remember that you will be working with a poison. Each manufacturer can have different instruction, so just be sure to read them carefully.
My elephant plant has cuts on the stems. Have you seen this before?
This could be uneven watering, lack of humidity or even a pest issue.
Assess the plant care with the articles below.
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/bulbs/elephant-ear/growing-elephant-ear-plants.htm
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/bulbs/elephant-ear/elephant-ears-taking-over.htm
I bought the plant within the last 2-3 weeks. I have it in a place that gets morning sun and a lot of light, but not sun, the rest of the day.
This article should help:
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/bulbs/elephant-ear/growing-elephant-ears-indoors.htm
I want to trim my elephant tree, and plant it, and I want it to grow big, and tall. But the tallest branch is bending, away from the sun actually, but a lower branch seems to be coming more straight up. I dont know if theres a way to trim it so that it grows tall and straight up. Any thought would be appreciated. The attached pictures arent great (they need to be in 3D), but its clear the tallest branch isnt going up, its a hook. I think my question is, should I train it, or trim it?
They are supposed to arch and zig zag so I would leave it. You can trim it up a bit to shape it.