Beaucarnea recurvata, elephant's foot
Beaucarnea recurvata
- Exposure
- Sun
- Hardiness (USDA)
- 9b (-3.9°C ≤ T° < -1.1°C)
- Lifecycle
- Perennial
- Foliage
- Evergreen
- Family
- Asparagaceae
- Genus
- Beaucarnea
- Species
- Beaucarnea recurvata
With its swollen trunk and tuft of curved leaves, the Beaucarnea recurvata certainly stands out. This plant from the Asparagaceae family grows in the desert regions of Mexico, among echeveria agavoides and Yucca gigantea. But it also thrives in our homes.
How can you recognize the elephant's foot, Beaucarnea recurvata?
Beaucarnea recurvata is a semi-succulent tree with an upright growth habit. In the wild, it can grow up to eight meters tall. When potted and kept indoors, it rarely reaches two meters.
The plant is nicknamed the elephant's foot or bottle tree because of its thick trunk. It has a bulge at the base, allowing it to store water and withstand periods of drought. This reservoir resembles an elephant's foot when viewed up close. But it also has the same texture! The light brown bark wrinkles and becomes rough over time.
The trunk and branches are topped with a tuft of glossy green leaves. The leaf blades are no more than two centimeters wide, but they can measure 30 to 90 cm long.
Mature Beaucarnea recurvata plants bloom in the summer. They are then adorned with panicles of white or cream-colored flowers.
The shrub is not toxic, but its leaves have sharp edges. Wear gloves when handling it and avoid leaving it within reach of hands or teeth!
Our care tips
The Beaucarnea recurvata is an easy-care plant. It only fears excess water. If you notice that the leaves are turning brown, your plant is probably too close to a heat source or in a draught. Also check that the leaves have room to droop. If stuck against a wall or piece of furniture, they tend to turn yellow.
Watering
Water your Beaucarnea recurvata when the potting soil has dried on the surface, for at least three centimetres.
Supply the plant with non-calcareous water at room temperature. Rainwater is best. If you don't have any, you can filter mains water or leave it to stand for 24 hours.
After watering, check the saucer or planter. If stagnant water appears, empty it. It could rot the roots.
Misting
Spray foliage with non-calcareous water at room temperature. Fogging helps improve humidity, clean leaves and control pests.
Repotting
Every year in the spring, repot your Beaucarnea recurvata to give it more space.
Your Beaucarnea recurvata likes to be cramped. Get a pot with a hole in it that's taller than it is wide, and a few centimetres longer than the previous one. So that the roots don't bathe in water, avoid models with a water reservoir.
Pour in a drainage layer, clay balls or a bed of gravel, then the substrate. The Beaucarnea recurvata is not difficult. Ordinary potting soil for green plants or heather with a little sand will do the trick.
Place your plant in the center, with the trunk upright. Then fill in with substrate to within two or three centimetres of the edge of the pot. But be careful! The swollen part of the trunk must not be buried!
Fertilization
To promote the growth of your Beaucarnea recurvata, apply fertilizer in spring and summer.
To stimulate the growth of your Beaucarnea recurvata, use a liquid fertilizer for green plants.
Cleaning
Clean the leaves with a clean wet sponge. This removes dust and improves photosynthesis. It's also a way of preventing mite infestations.
Taking cuttings
Propagation by cuttings is carried out during the strong growth phase, generally in spring and early summer.
Using disinfected and sharpened pruning shears or scissors, remove a ten-centimeter stem (two leaf levels).
To allow the graft to heal, lay it flat in a ventilated room, out of direct sunlight, for two days.
In a pierced pot, pour gravel or clay balls for drainage. Add a rich substrate, such as special cuttings soil or horticultural compost. Dig a hole using a pen or stake. Plant your young Beaucarnea recurvata and tamp lightly.
Water to encourage rooting.
Water to encourage rooting.
Diseases / Threats
Information
- Lifecycle
- Perennial
- Foliage
- Evergreen
- Exposure
- Sun
- Substrate
- Humus soil
- Planting methods
- In potsIn tubs
- Category
- Tree
- Origin
- Central America
- Hardiness (USDA)
- 9b (-3.9°C ≤ T° < -1.1°C)
- Leaf color
- Dark green
- Flower color
- White
Discover plants from the same family
Snake plant
Sansevieria trifasciata
Find all our tips in the Monstera application
