Tall Elephant’s Foot

Biological Name:

Ambrosia artemisiifolia (Tall-Elephant’s-Foot)

Natural Habitat:

Tall-Elephant’s-Foot: Typically found in dry, sandy areas in the southwestern United States.

Description:

Tall-Elephant’s-Foot also known as Elephantopus is a plant that is native to grassland and prairie regions of North America. It is a perennial herb that can grow up to four feet tall and it has large oval-shaped leaves and small inconspicuous flowers that are typically green or yellow in color. The plant is known for its distinctive elephant’s-foot-shaped leaves and it is often found in disturbed or degraded habitats.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: Is Elephantopus edible?
A: It is neither an edible nor a safe herbal plant, but it truly is a beautiful plant to know. This particular species, elatus, is the most widespread of our four native Elephantopus species found here in Florida.
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Q: Is elephant foot medicinal?
A: Elephantosus scaber is popularly known as Elephant’s foot (English), Gojivha (Sanskrit), Eddumalikechettu (Telugu), and Nayi nalige (Kannada. It is used in Colombia and Brazil as a tonic, febrifuge, and diaphoretic against cough, bronchitis, and asthma .
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Q: What would happen if you touched elephants foot?
A: The Elephant’s Foot is so deadly that spending only 30 seconds near it will result in dizziness and fatigue. Two minutes near it and your cells will begin to hemorrhage. By the time you hit the five-minute mark, you’re a goner.
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Q: What is Elephant Foot good for?
A: It is said to be improving digestion and is also used as laxatives in folklore medicine. In Ayurvedic medicine system uses elephant foot yam it in the treatment of emesis, dysmenorrhea, fatigue, constipation, piles, dyspepsia, inflammation, tumors, elephantiasis, rheumatism and others.
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Q: Is elephant foot toxic?
A: Chernobyl’s Elephant’s Foot Is a Toxic Mass of Corium | HowStuffWorks.
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Q: Is Elephant Foot good for weight loss?
A: Promotes Weight Loss- Jimikand or elephant foot yam is full of good gut bacteria and can help rebuild the digestion process. Hence, people experiencing weight problems due to bloating, gastric issues and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) can benefit from eating this veggie.
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Q: Why do they call it elephant foot?
A: Although the lowest leaves can be quite large, the name “elephant’s foot” apparently came from tropical members in the same genus, which do have bottom leaves large enough to suggest the feet of elephants.
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Q: What is the bottom of an elephants foot made of?
A: The sole of the elephant foot is covered by a thick keratinized squamous epithelium, the epidermis, which lies on a massive layer of dense connective tissue forming the dermis.
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Q: What is elephant foot plant?
A: elephant’s-foot, (Dioscorea elephantipes), also called hottentot bread, an odd-looking twining plant of the yam family (Dioscoreaceae), characterized by a large, woody, and partially exposed tuber. It is native to semiarid areas in southern Africa.
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Q: How long does it take for an elephant’s foot to grow?
A: Although the Elephant’s foot grows very slowly, it can reach a height of nearly 5 feet after a few years.
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Q: Where do elephant feet grow?
A: The Lighting Condition for Elephant’s Foot The fantastic thing is to place them in partial shade, bright indirect light, or full sun. But remember, while they can tolerate low light, the more sun they get, the better they grow.
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Q: Is Elephantopus Scaber edible?
A: General Information. Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia. A popular medicinal herb in Africa, where it is often gathered from the wild. The leaves are also sometimes eaten locally.
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Q: How do you use Elephantopus Scaber?
A: Elephantopus scaber is used as a traditional medicine. Different parts of the plant are used in traditional medicine of India as an astringent agent, cardiac tonic, and diuretic, and is used for eczema, rheumatism, fever, and bladder stones.
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About the author

Samuel is a gardening professional and enthusiast who has spent over 20 years advising homeowners and farm owners on weed identification, prevention and removal. He has an undergraduate degree in plant and soil science from Michigan State University.