This underappreciated wildflower of the Aster family is easily grown in average to dry, well-drained soils in part shade or even a bit of direct sunlight. It reportedly grows well in sandy or poor soils. It forms knee-high colonies of single, leafy stems and late-summer, lavender blooms. The lowest leaves of this species can be fairly large; however, the common name probably came from tropical species in this genus that have leaves large enough to suggest an elephant's foot. The basal leaves of this species may be absent during bloom time, but smaller green leaves are widely spaced along the stem. Carolina elephant's foot self-seeds readily and is more suitable for naturalized areas than it is for domestic gardens. Its native range extends from eastern Texas to Florida and northward from Kansas to New Jersey.
The foliage and habitat of this plant are similar to the closely related ironweeds, but the flower heads are very different. While both species lack true, strap-shaped ray florets, the flatter flower heads of Carolina elephant's foot have a distinctive double-compound structure.
Native habitats include low woods, banks of streams, roadsides, and pastures. Use as a groundcover in partly sunny meadows, woodland gardens, native plant gardens, or on the edges of streams.
Plant Characteristics:
Grows 1-3' tall and wide.
Prefers part shade but tolerates some direct sun.
Blooms August-September with lavender, rarely white, flower heads arranged in compound inflorescences that may be mistaken for a single flower. Each 1/4" individual flower head has 5-lobed corollas. The lobes are positioned to one side of the flower, creating bilaterally (rather than radially) symmetrical corollas. All 4 flowers within a single involucre bloom on the same day. Because of their positioning, each primary head of 4 corollas appears to form a single 4-petaled, 20-lobed flower. Brown, one-seeded achenes are elongated and flattened. They are dispersed by passing mammals.
Leaves are up to 8" long and 3½" wide, dark green above and medium green beneath. with coarsely serrated to scalloped margins.
Long, tough, fibrous roots descend from small, knobby root crown.
Reproductive System: flower contains both male and female parts (perfect/bisexual). Also reproduces asexually through rhizomes.
Wildlife Value:
Host plant for larvae of leaf miner moth Cremastobombycia ignota. May support some generalist caterpillars. Tumbling flower beetles and aphids feed on the stems.
Provides late-season nectar for native bees, butterflies, and skippers. Its low-growing structure offers ground-level cover for insects and small wildlife, such as toadlets and ground-foraging birds.
Medicinal, Edible, and Other Uses:
Used in Asia for treatment of pain and inflammation.
Resources:
Arkansas Native Plant Society: https://anps.org/2019/10/16/know-your-natives-carolina-elephants-foot/
Illinois Botanizer: https://illinoisbotanizer.com/plants/elephantopus-carolinianus/
Missouri Botanical Garden: https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?taxonid=277426&isprofile=0&n=1
Missouri Dept. of Conservation: https://mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/field-guide/elephants-foot#:~:text=The%20elephant's%20foot%20plant%20(Elephantopus%20carolinianus)%20is,native%20plant%20gardens%2C%20prairies%2C%20and%20woodland%20gardens.
North Carolina Extension: https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/elephantopus-tomentosus/