Portulacaria afra (known as elephant bush, porkbush, purslane tree, dwarf jade and spekboom in Afrikaans) is a small-leaved succulent plant found in South Africa.

[1] The genus Portulacaria has been shown to be an outlier, relatively unrelated to the other genera in the family, which are all restricted to small ranges in the arid far west of Southern Africa.

Its growth rate is not dependent on water availability, and spekboom is able to accumulate biomass in excess of what would be predicted by rainfall levels in the area.

[6] Despite its ecological signifigance, ecologists in the region are advised to avoid introducing spekboom in subregions where it is not already present due to its ability to rapidly gain biomass.

[6] In the wilds of South Africa, large plants do survive the winter frosts by growing dense enough to provide their own natural cover.

Several varieties exist - some bred in cultivation, others naturally occurring:[8] In Southern Africa it is commonly eaten, usually as one component of a salad or a soup.

[9] Most commonly used for cattle and goats, these plants also act as a supplemental source of water on top of their nutritional benefits for livestock.