- The Australian Bottle Tree or Elephant's Foot is very decorative
- Suitable as a beginner plant
- Caring for an Australian bottle tree outside in the summer
- Watch out for pests
- Propagating elephant foot from seed
It is often read that the Australian bottle tree and the elephant tree are two different houseplants. That is not right. Elephant tree is just another name for this extraordinary plant.
The elephant's foot is also called the Australian bottle tree
The Australian Bottle Tree or Elephant's Foot is very decorative
- Strikingly shaped trunk below
- drooping leaves
- becomes very large
The appearance of this plant is definitely unusual. The trunk is very thick and rounded at the bottom, resembling an elephant's foot. Leaves sprout from the trunk at the top, which are long and dark green. You bend down.
Suitable as a beginner plant
There's little you can do wrong when caring for an elephant's foot. Even as a beginner you will hardly have any problems with care.
However, you should have enough space available, because the tree will become quite large after a while.
Since the Australian bottle tree is not hardy, you must overwinter it frost-free in winter. For this you need a location with temperatures around seven degrees. Bright corridors and basement rooms or entrance areas are well suited.
Caring for an Australian bottle tree outside in the summer
In summer it can never be warm enough for the elephant's foot. He appreciates a place in the blazing sun. But he likes to be sheltered from the wind. This also makes sense because, given its size, the tree will tip over fairly quickly if you don't stabilize it properly.
During the warm season, water the bottle tree frequently without waterlogging. In winter, reduce the amount of water so that the root ball is just damp.
Watch out for pests
Although the Australian bottle tree or elephant's foot is very robust, scale insects and spider mites can still cause problems. Always collect pests immediately and treat the tree to protect it from further infestation.
Propagating elephant foot from seed
The Elephant Tree can be grown from seed if you can get some. Here the Internet, through which you can get seeds, will help.
tips
The Australian bottle tree or elephant's foot is often described as poisonous. The extent to which this statement is true has not been researched. In any case, it is advisable to be careful when keeping them if children and pets are part of the family.