Elephant's Foot

A plant particularly interesting for its stem, which strikingly resembles an elephant's foot. This thick part of the trunk serves as a water reservoir for the plant. Long leaves grow from the trunk, with their ends curling backwards.

Growing

Place the elephant's foot as close to a window as possible, as light and fresh air are essential for its survival. During summer, the plant will thrive on a terrace or in the garden, but it needs a temperature of at least 10°C during winter.

Don't overdo the watering - moderate watering is sufficient in summer, and reduce watering in winter. If the plant stands in water, it will die. In summer, add cactus and succulent fertiliser approximately once every 3 weeks, or a smaller amount of flowering plant fertiliser.

Remove dry leaves regularly.

Repotting and Propagation

Young plants should be repotted every year, while older ones appreciate repotting every 2 to 3 years, always choosing a slightly larger pot than the previous one. Place a drainage layer at the bottom and fill with cactus and succulent substrate.

Propagation is possible by seeds or side shoots, however this is quite demanding, so purchasing seeds is more advantageous.

Diseases and Pests

Plants are most commonly attacked by spider mites, which reveal themselves through white webs, or mealybugs, which create white or reddish sticky substance.