Elephant bush extreme CO2 sponge

I've read a bit about how a hectare of elephant bush absorbs more carbon than a hectare of rainforest. It's absorbs CO2 at night, highly resistant to drought, edible, medicinal, can grow in rocks, one of the easiest succulents to propagate, no pests, can be trimmed to make hedges, the benefits sound endless.

I have one, its the only plant that survives the summer in Australia with 0 watering. I haven't watered it for 10 years and somehow it grew. I never knew it had all these uses. Is anyone using elephant bush for carbon farming?

Thanks for sharing! I had never heard of it until you posted. Found a little more information from:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portulacaria_afra

and

https://hort.extension.wisc.edu/articles/elephant-bush-portulacaria-afra/

This sounds like an excellent plant for your sheet mulched area you're having trouble with. If you can get some established there, it will help cool the soil and block wind for other plants you want to grow.

What Jan has suggested sounds like a good idea.

Like this for the beauty aspect:


source

I also like the suggestion that the plant is drought-tolerant, fire-resistant, and edible.  

That link also says it is a good houseplant.

Jan White wrote:This sounds like an excellent plant for your sheet mulched area you're having trouble with. If you can get some established there, it will help cool the soil and block wind for other plants you want to grow.

You are a lifesaver. Thank you. I was actually thinking of putting some in that area! It's a relief to see another person have the same idea

Wow. I didn't know the plant I had did all this. I thought I just had a "lucky" jade bush! I've followed up the links and learned a lot more, even edible, as well as a CO2 sponge soak, who knew. Thanks Alex.

Good new is that the Elephant Bush is edible, too!

If you own a beautiful Elephant Bush or Portulacaria afra plant, you’ve probably heard that you can eat the leaves…well the rumors are true!

https://sunandseedlings.com/is-elephant-bush-edible/

Annette Jones wrote:Wow. I didn't know the plant I had did all this. I thought I just had a "lucky" jade bush! I've followed up the links and learned a lot more, even edible, as well as a CO2 sponge soak, who knew. Thanks Alex.

Before tasting that Lucky Jade, check out these links:

it is easy to assume that they are both exactly the same plant, given their vast similarities. However, when we look closer, we find that they are actually very different plants.

https://a-z-animals.com/blog/elephant-bush-vs-jade-plant-what-are-the-differences/

The Jade tree has been found to be mildly poisonous to humans upon ingestion, causing minor symptoms like vomiting and diarrhea.

https://plantcaretoday.com/jade-plant-poisonous.html

I've checked thanks Anne and have keyed out my plant - it is portulacaria-afra :-)