Elephant’s foot (Beaucarnea recurvata)
Elephant’s foot (Beaucarnea recurvata) is a conservatory or greenhouse grown type of plant that can grow 1.5m – 3m tall and 50cm – 1.5m wide. In this growing guide we’ll learn the cultivation details and how to plant Elephant’s foot (Beaucarnea recurvata).
This plant has several common names including: elephant’s foot or pony tail.
This is a evergreen plant that takes 20-50 years to reach full maturity.
In this article
Plant profile
Common name: elephant’s foot, pony tail
Scientific name: Beaucarnea recurvata
Plant type: Conservatory & Greenhouse
Habit: Bushy
Height: 1.5m – 3m
Spread: 50cm – 1.5m
Foliage: Evergreen
Sunlight: Full Sun
Soil: Chalk, Clay, Loam, Sand
Moisture: Well drained
Garden type: Patio & Container Garden
Other characteristics: RHS Award of Garden Merit
Seasonal colors
| Season | Stem | Foliage | Flower | Fruit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | ||||
| Summer | ||||
| Autumn | ||||
| Winter |
How to plant Elephant’s foot (Beaucarnea recurvata) – Agnieszka Kwiecień, Nova, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Other types of Beaucarnea to consider:
See all Beaucarnea
How to plant
In this section we will learn how to plant Elephant’s foot (Beaucarnea recurvata), know its needs in terms of soil, watering and sun exposure.
Soil
Elephant’s foot (Beaucarnea recurvata) is a plant that adapts to all types of soils, chalk, clay, loam or sand.
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The chalky soil is pale and contains chunks of calcium-rich rock. It is a fertile and well-draining soil, almost always alkaline.
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Clay soil is composed of more than 25 percent clay particles. These particles have a high moisture holding capacity and the soil is heavy to dig and can be waterlogged in winter (dry in summer).
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The loam soil is dark, rich in organic matter but balanced in minerals. It offers the best of all worlds, retaining enough water for the plants, but allowing excess moisture to drain away. This is the most desired type of garden soil, perfect for most plants.
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Sandy soil is light, porous and very easy to drain. It is a soil poor in organic matter and nutrients. It is composed of relatively large mineral particles that allow water to drain quickly.
It is not very sensitive to soil acidity or alkalinity and grows well in soils with pH acid, alkaline or neutral.
Regarding drainage, Beaucarnea recurvata likes to grow in well drained soil.
Sunlight
Elephant’s foot (Beaucarnea recurvata) should be grown in full sun places.
Cultivation profiles – Growing Elephant’s foot (Beaucarnea recurvata) – KATHERINE WAGNER-REISS, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
