The elephant's foot is quite an impressive houseplant. Even without a green thumb, it will give you a lot of pleasure. Because he doesn't need much care.
In its natural environment, the elephant's foot (Beaucarnea recurvata) lives up to its name. It is a stately and imposing plant. The dragon tree plant for the living room is no less attractive. The plants are long-lived and forgive some care mistakes. Below we explain what you should know about the popular exotic species on our windowsill.
Characteristics of the elephant foot
The biggest feature is the thickened trunk, which is reminiscent of an elephant's foot. The botanical name "Beaucarnea" is said to derive from a Dutch lawyer. In our latitudes, the terms water palm or bottle tree are also common.
In their native Mexico, the trees grow almost ten meters high and can reach an age of up to 100 years. Plant heights of up to 1.5 meters are not uncommon in the living room.
The elephant's foot can store considerable amounts of water in its bulbous trunk. This is also the reason why it survives longer periods of drought almost unscathed.
Is the elephant foot poisonous?
The elephant's foot is not a poisonous plant. However, cat owners should refrain from this plant. Cats prefer to gnaw on the grassy leaves. If the leaves are ingested in large quantities, the saponins they contain can irritate the mucous membranes.
Substrate for the elephant's foot
If you plant the elephant's foot in standard potting soil, you will have to make some compromises. The pH value of the substrate is usually indicated on the packaging. Ideally, this should be between 5.8 and 6.8.
The plants need loose and well-drained soil. An alternative is commercially available cactus soil.
You can also mix the ideal substrate yourself:
- three portions of potting soil
- two portions of soil with clay
- a portion of quartz sand
- a portion of lava granulate or pumice gravel
The elephant tree does not tolerate soil that is too dense and waterloggingtolerated.
Elephant Foot Location
The elephant foot should receive at least five hours of sunlight daily. Therefore, a location on the west or east window is ideal. A distance of about three meters to the glass front should be maintained for a location on the south window. A stand at the north window is less suitable. The plants grow slowly without sunlight and the absence of new shoots is also a sign that the location is too dark.
Warning:
The elephant's foot should not suddenly move from a partially shaded place to a sunny window. The change of location would result in burns to the leaves. This results in irregular brown coloring on the leaves. The affected leaves can no longer regenerate.
Although the inhabitants of the semi-deserts depend on the sun, the elephant's foot does not tolerate the blazing midday sun. The minimum temperature should not fall below 15 degrees during the day. Ten degrees is enough at night.
The plant can also be cultivated outdoors in summer. A sheltered location is preferable. If the temperature falls below ten degrees at night, the plant should be brought back into the room.
Tip: If the trunk of the elephant's foot is to have a straight growth habit, the plant on the flower window must be rotated more often.
Casting elephant foot
Because the elephant's foot can store large amounts of water in the trunk, it can survive for a longer period of time without watering. Watering is only necessary when the soil appears well dried.
In summer there is more watering, in winter the elephant's foot only needs a little water and easily survives several weeks of drought. In order to determine the amount of water, it is advisable to do the finger test initially and check the dryness of the soil. In no case should the elephant's foot be too wet. In any case, the plants cope better with drought.
Dry air does not harm the elephant's foot. You can still spray occasionally to remove dust and pollutants from the plant. If the humidity is around 70 percent, the elephant's foot will find ideal growth conditions.
Fertilize elephant foot
The elephant's foot is a frugal plant. If the plant is fertilized in spring, this dose is sufficient for the entire growing season.
Tip: Fertilize sparingly. Overdoses lead to the destruction of the roots. Half of the dosage indicated on the packagingis sufficient for the elephant foot.
Planting and care tips at a glance
| Activity | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Select Location | • several hours of sun daily • no blazing midday sun • also outdoors in summer |
| Prepare the ground | • loose • permeable • pH between 5.8 and 6.8 |
| Casting | • water sparingly • water is stored in the trunk • waterlogging is not tolerated |
| Fertilize | • low nutrient requirement • over-fertilization damages roots |
Cutting Elephant's Foot
If the elephant's foot is too big or if more runners are desired, the plant can be cut. The trunk can be sawed off in spring. If the crown is lost, hardly any water evaporates. Therefore, only sporadic watering is required after cutting.
After cutting, a light location is advisable. So that the plant does not completely bare, it is advisable not to prune all the crowns at once.
Tip: Seal the wounds with a wound sealer commonly used for garden plants.
Propagating elephant foot
If the elephant's foot is kept as a houseplant, flowers and seeds hardly form. Trade offers seeds.
Anyone who already owns a plant can also propagate it by cutting off side shoots. Rooting takes place in propagation substrate.
Detect diseases and pests
As an easy-care houseplant, the elephant's foot is rarely attacked by diseases. The biggest enemy of the plant is waterlogging. If the root area is soaked, the trunk will begin to rot.
Dying off the lower leaves is perfectly normal. These will be replaced with new leaves. The dead leaves can easily be peeled off downwards. If the plants do not put out new leaves, this is a sign that they are too dark or waterlogged.
Occasionally, the desert plant can be attacked by scale insects or spider mites. Infestation can be recognized by leaf deformation, leaf spots or a net-like coating.
Scales can be scraped off with a knife. If the humidity is constantly high, the plants will recover quickly.
hibernate elephant foot
The elephant's foot shouldn't spend the winter in an overheated living room. The low humidity favors infestation with mealybugs orspider mites. A bright location at five to ten degrees is ideal for the desert dweller in the cold season.