It is susceptible to a few of the common garden pests. Keep soil moist. In these year-round growing areas some consider the elephant ears to be an invasive plant. When growing any of the varieties but especially Colocasia esculenta you’ll need to plant them in the ground or in a large container, for several reasons. Some small elephant ear looking plant varieties such as Colocasia esculenta can handle full sun when grown outdoors. Colocasia is a genus of flowering plants in the family Araceae, native to southeastern Asia and the Indian subcontinent.Some species are widely cultivated and naturalized in other tropical and subtropical regions. Elephant Ear Plant: How To Care For Colocasia Esculenta. Professional Growing Information . Elephant's Ear. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Colocasia formosana Hayata. They can be feed at every watering and responds well to foliar fertilizers and slow-release fertilizers but they need to be high in nitrogen. Dig out corms from the soil. ... Royal Hawaiian ® 'Aloha' Elephant's Ear Colocasia esculenta. Frequent misting will help keep the thrips away. Use offset tubers that the parent plant has grown during the course of the summer. It prefers full sun to part shade or filtered sun and can be a great plant for planting at the edge of the understory of a tree or as a border. Details . Overall, it is best to grow the elephant ears outside during the summer. Shop Colocasia Esculenta 4 Reviews Share: The giant, velvety-green leaves of elephant ears bring a tropical look to gardens and containers. Growing your Ornamental Taro. Different species of elephant ears may cause harm to humans due to the irritants in its system. ... Taro Plant Care Weeding. Native to eastern Asia, Colocasia esculenta, or Taro, is a tender herbaceous perennial that grows best in organically rich, wet soil and tropical climates. $21.95. Plant database entry for Elephant Ear (Colocasia esculenta) with 57 images, 2 comments, and 35 data details. A fertilization regime every two weeks with a 50 percent diluted 20-10-10 food is an integral part of houseplant care of Colocasia. The soil should never dry out but well-drained rich moist soil is preferred. Never allow the plant to dry out. Leaves may burn at first but once acclimated to the sunlight will do fine. Colocasia ‘Mojito’ (Zone 7b-10), like all its cousins that we call elephant ears or taro, is a heat-loving plant that’s also hungry and thirsty. Colocasia plants are very robust growers and drink a lot of water, it is a thirsty plant. Elephant ear and coco yam are called giant elephant ears or plants under the same family such as Xanthosoma sagitifolium and white caladium. In USDA Zones outside of 7b-10 you should either use this plant as an annual or dig up the tuber after the first frost and overwinter it in a cool dry area (possibly in dry wood shavings or … Propagation Plant tubers when soil is consistently around 70°F. Being a fast grower, elephant ear plants are also heavy feeders. In northern climates, they can be treated more as annuals where the elephant ears bulbs, corms or tubers are stored over winter for the next growing season. Get a month of TabletWise Pro for free! A perennial tuber coming from the tropical swamplands under family Araceae. Can tolerate soil moisture from average to wet. It may cause severe discomfort to the lips, throat, mouth, and other parts of the oral cavity. This is why the Colocasia finds itself “dressing up” shallow backyard ponds and a good option for those looking for landscape foliage plants to plant in wet areas. The Elephant Ear plant or taro elephant ears is the common name for the genus Colocasia. Exposure: Partial Sun to Partial Shade; Bright Direct to Bright Indirect Indoors. Colocasia Esculenta Mojito. Store dormant tubers in a dry, frost-free location. Colocasia esculenta can grow very large. The large, heart-shaped, dark green leaves of the elephant ear resemble a shield that can reach 3′ to almost 4′ feet in length and overall plant heights of 6′-7′ feet tall. Colocasia antiquorum, an ornamental species with very large leaves has variations displaying margins and veinings of purple, sometimes called the “black elephant ears“, “black magic taro” or “black taro”. Colocasia neocaledonica Van Houtte. Colocasia Plant Poisoning is caused by eating colocasia plant or plant products This intake could be accidental, or in some cases intentional, to bring self-harm The poisonous part of the plant is calcium oxalate crystals and the protein asparagine that is found in all plant parts (especially the leaves and stem). Grown indoors, the flowering of elephant ears is rare, outdoors once established, the small green sheath holding a greenish-yellow cob of flowers is common. Regular room temperatures are fine and the plant is able to tolerate temps into the 60° degree Fahrenheit range. Colocasia plants are very robust growers and drink a lot of water, it is a thirsty plant. Learn all about growing them, their needs, pest issues and how to carry them over winter to enjoy again next year. Learn all about growing them, their needs, pest issues and how to carry them over winter to enjoy again next year. Leaves may burn at first but once acclimated to the sunlight will do fine. This comes as a result of microscopic needle like raphides made of calcium oxalate monohydrate the plant use as self-defense against herbivores who would try to eat it. Article by Plant Care Today. The only “grooming” required is to remove old leaves as they die off and withered material in the fall season before winter arrives. It is also widely grown like rice around the world for its large edible, starchy tubers and is an important food source. Dig out the elephant ears plants growing in the landscape/garden, Store tubers with soil attached at a temperature around 45° – 55° degrees Fahrenheit until the spring growing season (after frost possibilities have passed), When foliage color of the plants starts turning yellow, Begin to withhold water until plants have died down. Unlike the leaves of Alocasia which point skyward, the leaves of Colocasia droop and point toward the ground. This is why the Colocasia finds itself “dressing up” shallow backyard ponds and a good option for those looking for landscape foliage plants to plant in wet areas. In the spring as stored tubers of elephant ears begin to sprout and grow, place tubers in pots just big enough to hold them in a potting mixture of peat moss and sand or something similar. The food crop plant must be properly cooked before eating otherwise it can be upset the stomach. The fertilizer you use should be high in nitrogen and potassium. In these year-round growing areas some consider the elephant ears to be an invasive plant. Remove invasive plants and weeds that are competing for nutrients and resources, especially during the first three months of planting. The elephant ear plant – colocasia with it’s spectacular, giant leaves adding a tropical feel to any landscape. Offspring shoots can be transplanted. Elephant ears have also been hybridized to produce leaves of various sizes and colors in the green, blue, black range. Colocasia esculenta (Taro or Dasheen) – “esculent” meaning edible, is grown not only for ornamental purposes. The sap can irritate the skin. Bulbs can be dug and stored in cold winter climates to be replanted again the next year. Store pots with tubers in a basement or garage at a temperature between 45° – 55° degrees Fahrenheit until spring growing season (after frost possibilities have passed). Spider mites love the elephant ear leaf and its texture. Elephant Ear Plant Care. Care Grow in partial shade and humusy, moist or wet, slightly acidic soil. The bulbs or tubers of Elephant ears are grown in Northern and Southern gardens primarily for their very decorative, ornamental foliage, and need lots of room. The care and effort it takes to overwinter elephant ears (Colocasia spp. Required fields are marked *. Colocasia plants (also referred to as taro plants) are native to hot and humid areas of southeast Asia; their leaves have the traditional elephant ear shape that grows up from a long stem, unwinding itself and then pointing toward the ground once it has its full shape. The soil should never dry out but well-drained rich moist soil is preferred. Colocasia antiquorum, an ornamental species with very large leaves has variations displaying margins and veinings of purple, sometimes called the “black elephant ears”, “black magic taro” or “black taro”. Your email address will not be published. Taro is the name used for a root/tuber that is commonly sold for food and it is a Colocasia. By entering your email address you agree to receive a daily email newsletter from Plant Care Today. Gardens Through The Years – A Brief History Of Gardening, Green Island Ficus: Ficus Microcarpa Easy To Grow Bonsai Ficus, How To Apply Neem Oil To Soil As A Drench, How to Divide Chives for an Endless Supply of Free Plants – 4 Easy Steps. $11.95. Colocasia peltata (Lam.) Propagation Divide in winter or early spring. You can buy taro in a grocery store and grow it. Being a fast grower, elephant ear plants are also heavy feeders. Contains: 1 large Colocasia tuber. Best grown in fertile, humusy, organically rich, medium to wet soils in part shade or filtered sun. Colocasia konishii Hayata. To support its size it needs space to accommodate the root system. However, by providing a light partial shade but still strong light, elephant ear plants can grow massive. [citation needed] It is the most widely cultivated species of several plants in the family Araceae that are used as vegetables for their corms, leaves, and petioles. They are a swamp plant that develops a good, hardy, root system under water. The food crop plant must be properly cooked before eating otherwise it can be upset the stomach. Propagation by division of tuberous taro roots at spring potting time. Elephant ear and coco yam are called giant elephant ears or plants under the same family such as Xanthosoma sagitifolium and white caladium. They can be feed at every watering and responds well to foliar fertilizers and slow-release fertilizers but they need to be high in nitrogen. Look for typical spider mite webbing under the leaves. How to Prune Basil like the Pros, HUGE Basil Plants ALL SEASON LONG! Read on…. Colocasia esculenta is a tropical plant grown primarily for its edible corms, a root vegetable most commonly known as taro (/ ˈ t ɑː r oʊ, ˈ t æ r oʊ /), kalo (see §Names and etymology for an extensive list), or godere. The Elephant Ear plant or taro elephant ears is the common name for the genus Colocasia. When planting these tropical plants outdoors give elephant ear plants plenty of space, approximately 3′ – 6′ feet between plants. They are a swamp plant that develops a good, hardy, root system under water. When growing elephant ears, remember they crave water. Type #1: Colocasia Elephant Ear Care. Especially in northern locations elephant ear plants provide a very tropical landscape look even for a short period and make good additions near water gardens. 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