Does the elephant bush bloom? A detailed guide to growing it

The elephant bush is a relatively easy plant to keep alive, since it does not need constant watering and fertilizing. But there is a legend that the elephant bush does not bloom. What is that all about?

I. Notes on growing the elephant bush

1. It tolerates drought and not waterlogging, so do not water it too much. Pay attention to ventilation and drainage. In spring and autumn, water thoroughly only after the soil has dried out. The roots must not sit in water, or they will easily rot. During the growing season, follow the rule "do not water until dry, and water thoroughly when you do." When the summer temperature reaches above 30°C, the plant enters dormancy or semi-dormancy, so watering should be controlled, and you can mist the leaves. In winter, water less and keep the potting soil slightly dry.

2. It likes a warm, dry environment with plenty of sunlight, and tolerates partial shade. In summer it needs shade to prevent scorching by the hot sun. You can mist the plant 2 to 3 times a day, and make sure there is good ventilation.

3. During the growing season, apply a dilute, well-rotted cake-fertilizer liquid once every half month, or a dilute fertilizer solution based mainly on nitrogen. If growth is too weak, add a liquid fertilizer containing potassium. It should be light and dilute, never thick or concentrated.

4. If anthracnose occurs because of poor growing practices, spray the leaves with a 1500-fold dilution of 50% thiophanate-methyl wettable powder. Among pests, whiteflies and scale insects are harmful; spray to kill them with a 1000-fold dilution of 50% fenitrothion emulsifiable concentrate.

II. How to prune the elephant bush

Principle: during the growth of the elephant bush, it needs constant pruning and shaping to keep a graceful plant form. The elephant bush has strong sprouting ability, so it should be pruned and its buds removed often. You can cut off some overly long branches, diseased and weak branches, and dense branches to keep the tree shape graceful. Note that a freshly pruned elephant bush should be protected from rain and strong direct sunlight, to avoid infection or scorching at the cut.

Method: when pruning the outer outline of an elephant bush bonsai, the whole crown needs to form a scalene triangle. A scalene triangle gives both a sense of stability and a dynamic beauty. The shaping method for elephant bush bonsai is mainly pruning, with wiring as a supplement. Because the elephant bush has fleshy stems, do not let the metal wire cut into its skin when wiring, or the fleshy stem will tear. When pruning the branches and leaves of an elephant bush bonsai, all clustered branches, crossing branches, inward-growing branches, overlapping branches, parallel branches and leggy branches should be cut away. If the shape of the elephant bush bonsai requires it, you can also selectively keep one or two branches, because in the first year or two after shaping is completed, the elephant bush bonsai needs frequent pruning, and these reserved branches can be used to fill in gaps, so that a perfect elephant bush bonsai can be formed.

III. Does the elephant bush bloom?

Many plant lovers are very curious about whether the elephant bush really blooms. After all, at flower markets we can always see small red flowers growing on the elephant bush, truly "a spot of red in the green forest," which really makes people very happy. According to general growing experience, this plant does not bloom; the flower seller simply inserts a special small paper flower (fake) into the branches. When watered, the petals open; normally they are closed. Its relative the jade plant does bloom occasionally, but that too is extremely rare.

But some plant lovers explain that the elephant bush does bloom, but in China it has never been seen blooming because of soil, water and climate reasons; in its place of origin it does bloom, with red small flowers covering the branches. There is also a saying that the elephant bush will bloom, and the flowers are like clusters of grapes, but very small, and they wither right after blooming.

Haha, it seems whether the elephant bush really blooms is something everyone still needs to explore for themselves while growing it. So, do you also feel the urge to find out? Then hurry up and go grow a pot of elephant bush.