FNPS Plant Database

Elephantopus elatus

elephant's-foot
  • Photo by: Mark Hutchinson, Hernando Chapter, FNPS
  • Photo by: Mark Hutchinson, Hernando Chapter, FNPS
  • Photo by: Ginny Stibolt, Ixia Chapter FNPS

Nomenclature

Common Name:

elephant's-foot

Synonym(s):

Genus species:

Elephantopus elatus

Family:

Asteraceae (Compositae)

Plant Specifics

Form:

flower

Size:

2.0-3.5 ft tall by .75-1.5 ft wide

Life Span:

Long-lived perennial

Flower Color:

white,lavender

Fruit Color:

Phenology:

Overwinters as a basal rosette. Flowers spring-fall.

Noted For:

Showy Flowers, Interesting Foliage

Landscaping

Recommended Uses:

Meadows and wildflower gardens.

Considerations:

Availability:

Native Nurseries

Propagation:

Seeds are available through the Florida Wildflowers Growers Cooperative.

Light:

Full Sun, Part Sun, Shade

Moisture Tolerance:

Always Flooded---------------------------------Extremely Dry

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Somewhat moist, no flooding -to- Somewhat long very dry periods

Salt Water Flooding Tolerance:

Unknown

Salt Spray/Salty Soil Tolerance:

Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray

Soil or Other Substrate:

Soil pH:

acidic to neutral

Suitable to Grow In:

8A,8B,9A,9B,10A,10B,11

USDA zones are based on the average annual extreme minimum winter temperature.

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Ecology

Wildlife:

Pollinators, Butterflies

Attracts various pollinators, especially bees..  Documented native bees include  Azcgochlora pura, Augochlorella aurata, Azegochloropsis metallica, Anthidiellum perplexurn, Megachile albitarsis, M. brevis pseudobrevis  and M. xylocopoides (Deyrup et al. 2002).





Attracts butterflies including skippers, swallowtails, and hairstreaks.

Native Habitats:

Flatwoods, sandhill, ruderal areas, cutthroat seep, wet prairie.

Natural Range in Florida:

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Comments:

Ethnobotany:

General Comments:

Called elephant's foot because of the flat basal leaf formation.

Citations:

Florida Wildflower Foundation. (2015). Flower Friday: Tall Elephantsfoot (blog). ( https://flawildflowers.org/flower-friday-elephantopus-elatus/ ). Accessed 2026. Florida Wildflower Foundation, Maitland.


Hammer, Roger. (2015). Attracting Hummingbirds and Butterflies in Tropical Florida. University Press of Florida, Gainesville.


Traas, Pamela. (2001). Gardening for Florida's Butterflies. Great Outdoors Publishing Co., St. Petersburg, FL.


Wunderlin, R. P., B. F. Hansen, A. R. Franck, and F. B. Essig. (1999+). Atlas of Florida Plants. ( https://florida.plantatlas.usf.edu/ ). [S. M. Landry and K. N. Campbell (application development), USF Water Institute.] Institute for Systematic Botany, University of South Florida, Tampa.

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