Bursera Microphylla Elephant Tree Cactus Cacti Succulent Live Plant in a 4" Pot. Bursera microphylla, also known as elephant tree in English or 'torote' in Spanish, is a tree in that grows into a distinctive sculptural form, with a thickened, water-storing or caudiciform trunk and perhaps the most xeromorphic (desert-adapted) species within the genus This tree is native to northwestern Mexico and the southwestern United. Bursera microphylla is generally a small tree with a thickened trunk and relatively small branching. Can grow up to 10 m (33 ft) in height and its bark is light gray to white, with younger branches having a reddish color. It flowers in rounded yellow buds which open into small, star-shaped, white or cream flowers. The leaves are characterized as deciduous, but B. microphylla keeps its leaves year-round, except under conditions of drought and cold weather. The exfoliating papery bark of many of the trivalvate species may serve to attract the attention of birds and other animals from a distance as it rustles in the breeze.