Frithia pulchra Fairy Elephant’s Feet) is a fascinating and attractive succulent, known for its unique “window” leaves and beautiful flowers. It’s well-suited for succulent enthusiasts and those interested in drought-tolerant gardening, offering aesthetic appeal and easy care.
I. Appearance and Characteristics
Frithia pulchra, the fairy elephant’s feet, is a species of flowering plant in the fig‑marigold family Aizoaceae, endemic to Gauteng Province, South Africa (where it is classified as “Vulnerable” by the IUCN Red List).
It is named for Frank Frith, a Johannesburg gardener who showed specimens to N.E. Brown, a botanist at Kew Gardens, while on a visit to London, UK, in 1925. The Latin specific epithet pulchra means “beautiful”.
It remains quite small, typically reaching only about 3-4 inches in height (7-10 cm) and spreading up to 6-8 inches wide (15-20 cm). Its compact size makes it perfect for small spaces.
The foliage is notable for its cylindrical, finger-like leaves with unique translucent “windows” at the tips. These green leaves, often with a reddish hue under stress, enable efficient photosynthesis even under the soil.
Frithia pulchra produces beautiful, delicate pink or purplish flowers that emerge from the center of the rosette. The flowers are star-shaped, adding a whimsical touch to the plant’s appearance. The flowering season is mainly in the spring and summer, depending on the growing conditions. It produces small, inconspicuous fruits that contain seeds, following the flowering period.
It does not survive frosts, so in temperate areas it needs to be cultivated under glass. In the UK it has gained the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit.
II. How to Grow and Care
Fairy elephant’s feet is a succulent plant known for its resilience and low maintenance, making it an easy care species. Key care points include ensuring it’s planted in well-draining soil and receives plenty of bright, indirect sunlight. A special care point for fairy elephant’s feet is to limit watering, especially during winter; the plant is drought-tolerant and excess moisture can lead to root rot. Avoid overwatering by allowing the soil to dry out completely between waterings.
Sunlight
Fairy elephant’s feet thrives in full sun conditions, which promote robust growth and enhance blooming potential. Optimal light includes intense, direct sunlight for several hours daily, ensuring a fairy elephant’s feet’s photosynthetic needs are met. While a fairy elephant’s feet can survive some variation in light exposure, insufficient light may lead to etiolation and reduced flowering. Indoors, fairy elephant’s feet flourish in bright, south-facing windows.
Outdoors, fairy elephant’s feet should be positioned in spots that receive ample sunlight, avoiding shaded areas that can hamper its development and health. Fairy elephant’s feet’s foliage may exhibit adaptations to regulate light intake and prevent excess, enabling survival in its optimal light environment.
Temperature
Fairy elephant’s feet are suitable to grow in mild temperatures in spring and autumn, and do not have good resistance to extreme cold weather. If you are not in hardiness zones 9-10, it is not recommended to plant it directly in the garden, but as a potted plant.
When the temperature is higher than 30 ℃ in summer, fairy elephant’s feet may enter its dormancy. When the temperature is lower than 5 ℃ in winter, it is recommended to move it indoors to avoid irreversible frostbite or even death. Its growing season is in spring and autumn, and it needs a little water; in summer and winter, when it enters the dormancy period, watering should be reduced.
Watering
Originating from arid regions, fairy elephant’s feet has adapted to thrive with minimal moisture, showcasing a high drought tolerance. Its succulent nature allows it to store water efficiently, necessitating watering only once every 2-3 weeks. As an indoor plant, fairy elephant’s feet prefers well-draining soil that mimics its native dry habitat, ensuring that excess water does not lead to root rot. To complement its ability to conserve water, fairy elephant’s feet flourishes in environments with moderate humidity and consistent temperatures.
Soil
Fairy elephant’s feet thrives in well-draining soil, essential to avoid water-logging. For the soil mix, use succulent & cactus soil, which is commercially available, or blend equal parts of potting soil, coarse sand, and perlite for DIY mix. Ensure good aeration with added pumice or gravel. Although rarely needed, a slow-release fertilizer can be applied during the growing season for extra nutrients. Always prioritize drainage to maintain fairy elephant’s feet’s health.
Fertilizing
For fairy elephant’s feet, a light feeding with Succulents And Cacti Food every 4-6 weeks during the growing season (spring and summer) is sufficient. This fertilization aids in robust growth and better stress resilience. Use a quarter strength of the recommended dosage to prevent nutrient overload. During winter, cease fertilization to align with fairy elephant’s feet’s dormancy period. Watering before application prevents root burn. If fairy elephant’s feet is in a nutrient-rich substrate, reduce frequency. Always follow the specific product’s instructions for optimal plant health.
Planting Instructions
When planting, you can first add the soil of the lower hydrophobic layer to the flowerpot, and then add a small amount of soil of the planting layer. Then spread out the root system of the plant and put them in. Cover the plant root with planting soil slowly, then add the top deco soil, and finally pour water once. If it is planted in the garden, you need to dig a pit 1.5-2 times the size of the root system first, and then follow the above steps.
In order to make it grow better and faster, or if the roots are too dense or unhealthy, it needs to be repotted. It is recommended to repot in spring and autumn. Before repotting, stop watering a few days in advance, after the soil is dried, you can gently knock the pot outside. Or you can use a knife to separate the soil from the pot. When pulling the plant up slightly, you can easily take out the plant, and then follow the steps described in the previous paragraph.
It should be noted that, though you can plant different colors of succulent plants together, it is better to avoid planting succulent plants with different growth habits together. Some succulent plant growing in summer needs water, while other succulent plant in dormancy period does not need water. If they are planted together, the succulent plant in dormancy period will become sick due to excessive watering, while the succulent in growing period will wither due to insufficient water.
Pruning
In order to keep beautiful shape, some large succulent plants may need pruning. For example, in California, for echeveria planted in the garden, some redundant branches and branches that are too dense need to be cut off in spring and autumn. This depends on what you think and what the succulent plant is used for. Tools for pruning mainly include knife, scissors, and some medicines (such as sulfur powder).
In order to propagate new plants, we can also cut some leaves in spring and autumn for cutting. Stout stems with 5-6 leaves are often selected: cut it off with a knife, then smear the wound with sulfur powder, and plant it after the wound is healed. At this time, it is recommended to use a watering can to slightly wet the soil used for cutting.
Propagation
Fairy elephant’s feet can be adeptly propagated through sowing. As a succulent, fairy elephant’s feet requires well-draining soil to prevent root rot. Start by spreading the seeds evenly across a sandy or gritty compost mixture, which mimicks fairy elephant’s feet’s natural arid habitat. Lightly cover the seeds with a thin layer of sand and maintain consistent moisture without overwatering during germination. Gentle warmth from a heating mat can aid in successful sprouting. Patience is key, as fairy elephant’s feet may take several weeks to germinate.
Transplanting
The prime time to transplant a fairy elephant’s feet is the season of new beginnings, where growth is encouraged by warming temperatures. Choose a well-drained location with bright light. A friendly tip: ensure minimal root disturbance for best results.
Repotting
For ‘fairy elephant’s feet’, repot every 2 years to accommodate its slow growth and ensure healthy root space. Spring is ideal as it enters the active season. Use shallow containers mimicking its natural rocky habitats. Post-repotting, provide bright, indirect light and minimal water to prevent root rot, as this plant is drought-tolerant. With gentle care, ‘fairy elephant’s feet’ will thrive.
III. Uses and Benefits
Fairy elephant’s feet is ideal for rock gardens, succulent collections, terrariums, and as a container plant. Its unique appearance is valued in ornamental gardening.
Its low maintenance and drought tolerance make it an excellent choice for water-wise gardens. Its unique foliage and flowers add ornamental value.
