The indoor model tests of snowflake pile are carried out in this paper, the finite element method based on the coupled Euler-Lagrange (CEL) method is used, the effects of the cross-sectional shape of snowflake pile and the friction coefficient of the pile-soil action surface on the distribution of the plastic zone, displacement field and stress of the soil are considered. The results show that (1) the CEL method can better simulate the large deformation of the soil around the pile during the penetration of the snowflake pile; (2) the range of the plastic zone increases when friction exists at the pile-soil action surface, the shape effect on the plastic zone is negligible; (3) In the stress analysis, the friction coefficient has little effect on the peak strength of radial stress as well as vertical stress, there is a certain effect on the change of radial stress with vertical distance after the completion of pile compression, the shape effect has an effect on the change of radial stress with vertical distance (when μ = 0) and the change of vertical stress along the vertical distance, the change of radial stress with radial distance is negligible.