North Carolina Wildflowers, Shrubs, & Trees

by Jeffrey S. Pippen | Back to Jeff's Plant Page | Jeff's Nature Pages


Asteraceae > Elephantopus (elephantsfoot)

Carolina Elephantsfoot, Leafy Elephant's-foot Elephantopus carolinianus
Durham Co., NC
2 Sep 2007

Common statewide in a variety of forested habitats, this is the only (Elephantopus)with well developed stem leaves.

Carolina Elephantsfoot, Leafy Elephant's-foot (Elephantopus carolinianus)
Durham Co., NC
2 Sep 2007

Carolina Elephantsfoot, Leafy Elephant's-foot (Elephantopus carolinianus)
Durham Co., NC
2 Sep 2007


Smooth Elephantsfoot (Elephantopus nudatus) Smooth Elephantsfoot(Elephantopus nudatus)
Harnett Co., NC
3 Sep 2006

Common in the NC coastal plain and rare in the lower piedmont, Smooth Elephantsfoot grows in and around wooded areas.

Smooth Elephantsfoot (Elephantopus nudatus) Smooth Elephantsfoot(Elephantopus nudatus)
Harnett Co., NC
3 Sep 2006

Smooth Elephantsfoot (Elephantopus nudatus) Smooth Elephantsfoot(Elephantopus nudatus)
Craven Co., NC
26 Aug 2007

Smooth Elephantsfoot (Elephantopus nudatus) Smooth Elephantsfoot(Elephantopus nudatus)
Harnett Co., NC
3 Sep 2006


Hairy Elephantsfoot, Devil's Grandmother (Elephantopus tomentosus) Hairy Elephantsfoot, Devil's Grandmother (Elephantopus tomentosus)
Durham Co., NC
5 Aug 2006

Common in the NC piedmont & coastal plain (rare in mountains), Hairy Elephantsfoot grows in & near various wooded habitats.

Hairy Elephantsfoot, Devil's Grandmother (Elephantopus tomentosus) Hairy Elephantsfoot, Devil's Grandmother (Elephantopus tomentosus)
Durham Co., NC
5 Aug 2006

Elephantsfoot flowers are favorites for attracting nectaring butterflies.

Hairy Elephantsfoot, Devil's Grandmother (Elephantopus tomentosus) Hairy Elephantsfoot, Devil's Grandmother (Elephantopus tomentosus)
Durham Co., NC
5 Aug 2006

Note the large, flat "elephant's-foot" like leaves, for which the genus is named (although not all members of the genus exhibit this character).

Hairy Elephantsfoot, Devil's Grandmother (Elephantopus tomentosus) Hairy Elephantsfoot, Devil's Grandmother (Elephantopus tomentosus)
Durham Co., NC
10 March 2007

Fruiting structures from previous season are often persistent through the winter.



Annotated habitat and distribution information listed above is from Radford, Ahles, & Bell. 1968. Manual of the Vascular Flora of the Carolinas. UNC Press; Alan Weakley's Flora of the Carolinas, Virginia, and Georgia; and from personal observations and discussions with Will Cook, Harry LeGrand, and Bob Wilbur. Supplemental resources include USDA plants website, and NatureServe.


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Created on ... Sep 27, 2006 | jeffpippen9@gmail.com