Elephantopus carolinianus Raeusch.

Carolina Elephant's Foot; Leafy Elephant's Foot

Herb

Perennial

Vascular

Carolina Elephant's Foot is a native herbaceous perennial in the Sunflower family. It can be found throughout Alabama. Carolina Elephant's Foot occurs in moist to wet sandy woods, around ponds and streams, in low pastures, and on wet roadsides. It is a perennial with a taproot or small knobby root crown. Unlike our other species of Elephant’s Foot, the leaves are mostly cauline at flowering time. Leaves are petiolate (upper are sessile), alternate, elliptic or ovate to lanceolate in outline, and pubescent on both surfaces. The leaf margins are coarsely serrate or undulate. The base of the leaf clasps the stem. The stems are erect, 2-3 feet in height, and usually branched. Flowers are produced in heads. The heads are arranged in corymbs. Each head is subtended by three leaf-like bracts. The heads consist of disc flowers with the inner phyllaries sparsely pubescent with hairs 0.1–0.3 mm in length. The flowers are 5 lobed and white or pale lavender in color. The fruit is a ribbed and pubescent brown achene tipped with 5 straight, stiff awns. Carolina Elephant's Foot flowers late in the season when little else is in flower, and can be used as a “shrubby” ground cover in shaded areas. It is a tough plant needing little care and is tolerant of drought and deer. It can be grown from seed directly sown in the garden, but can become aggressive by re-seeding.—A. Diamond.

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Native FAC (NWPL)

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