Elephantopus tomentosus

Common Names

Common Elephant's Foot, Devil's Grandmother, Elephant's Foot, Woolly Elephant's Foot, Hairy Elephant's Foot

Summary

Elephantopus tomentosus is a perennial herb in the Asteraceae native to the southeastern United States, commonly called Hairy Elephant's Foot or Devil's Grandmother, it forms a basal rosette of large, hairy leaves and bears leafless, furry stems that branch above the inflorescence, plants reach about 0.5–1 m tall and carry lavender-pink flower heads formed of several small disk florets, arranged in clusters beneath 2–3 green triangular bracts, in cultivation, it prefers dry to mesic woodlands, woodland borders, roadsides, and old fields, tolerating full sun to partial shade on well-drained loamy or sandy soils with a slightly acidic pH around 5.5–7.0, it is drought-tolerant once established and can spread aggressively by self-seeding, making it potentially weedy in gardens, propagation is by seed with wind-dispersed seeds, it attracts pollinators as a nectar source and serves as a larval host for certain Lepidoptera, and can be used as a dry-shade groundcover in southeastern landscapes

Lifecycle

Perennial

Height

8-24 inches

Spread

1-3 feet

Hardiness Zones

Zones 6a-9b

Sunlight Requirements

Ideally Full Sun to Partial Shade.

Soil Type

Well-drained loamy or sandy soils, slightly acidic, pH roughly 5.5–7.0 (cultivation often 5.5–6.5).

Soil Drainage

Well-drained soil, typically dry to fairly dry (often sandy or loamy), avoiding waterlogged conditions.

Soil pH

5.5-6.5, Slightly acidic

Bloom Color

Pink to purple (lavender-pink)

Bloom Time

Late Summer to Fall

Foliage Color

Green

Fall Foliage Color

Green, Pinkish-purple

Leaf Lifecycle

Evergreen broadleaf

Growth Rate

Fast

Seasons of Interest

Summer and Fall

Propagation Methods

Seeds, Division

Attracts Wildlife

Attracts bees, butterflies, and other pollinators