Elephant Ear Plant Varieties

May 22, 2024 Post a Comment

Elephant ear plant varieties

Colocasia vary in size from the diminutive Colocasia heterochroma 'Dark Shadows' at only 8" tall, to the mammoth giant elephant ear plants like Colocasia gigantea 'Thailand Giant' and Laosy Giant which can top out at over 9' tall in ideal conditions. Most varieties fall within the 3' to 5' tall range.

How do I identify an elephant ear plant?

The leaves are light green for elephant ear and darker green in color for taro. Both have arrow-shaped leaves with long petioles and wavy margins. Elephant ear plants can grow up to 9 feet in height, while taro is much shorter – rarely reaching 4 feet tall.

Do elephant ear plants need sun or shade?

Sun or Shade: Elephant ears will grow in sun or shade. If you put them in a hot, sunny location, make sure they get a little shade during the middle of the day. Zone: Elephant ears are tropical plants. In zones 9-11 they can be grown outdoors year-round.

Which elephant ears are perennial?

Elephant ears is the common name for a group of tropical perennial plants grown for their large, heart-shaped leaves. “Elephant ears” is the common name for a group of tropical perennial plants grown for their large, heart-shaped leaves.

What is the most beautiful elephant ear?

Lindenii. This is one of the most beautiful varieties of Xanthosoma elephant ears you can grow. Lindenii plants grow up to 20 inches tall with green leaves that have white to silver veins throughout. It's quite a striking plant that needs to be kept warm at all times.

How do you winterize elephant ears?

It's a fairly simple process:

After your first frost, cut the stems to about 6 inches tall.
Put the tubers in a grocery bag, plastic pot or bulb rate and cover with a mix of peat moss and soil.
Add water to the container and store it in a cool, dark place to ensure the tuber stays dormant throughout the winter.

What happens if you touch elephant ear plant?

Elephant Ears are poisonous to children. Touching the stems or leaves can cause skin irritation and possibly a rash and itching. Eating the leaves, stems, or sap can cause a burning sensation in the mouth and throat and lead to swelling.

What do you do if you touch an elephant ear plant?

After contact with a skin irritant plant, wash the exposed areas thoroughly with soap and water. Use hydrocortisone cream to treat irritation and inflammation of the skin. Antihistamines may alleviate the itching and hives.

Do elephant ear plants multiply?

Elephant ears can become huge plants with gigantic leaves. Many spread through underground runners, or stolons, and send up baby plants along the way. These babies can be separated from the parent plant and installed elsewhere.

Do elephant ears grow better in pots or ground?

I recommend growing elephant ears in large pots, where they can reach their full growth potential. Smaller pots equal smaller growth, which is fine if you're growing a more compact variety or you only have a small patio or balcony. But if you want a lot of va-va-voom, opt for a big pot and a big variety.

How often should you water elephant ears?

Water your Elephant Ear per week, especially during the growing season. Above-average humidity is ideal for your Elephant Ear plant. Elephant Ear prefers temperatures between 65°F and 75°F.

Should I cut off yellow elephant ear leaves?

Pruning Elephant Ears Drooping leaves can be cut off with a sharp blade. Yellowing or brown leaves can be cut off at the stem. Disinfect the blade with each cut to prevent the spread of disease. This will give the plant more energy to put towards new growing leaves.

Can you leave elephant ears in the ground all year round?

In USDA Hardiness Zones 7 to 11, elephant ears can be left outside year-round and are treated as perennials. In colder climates, they are typically treated as annuals and discarded at the end of the growing season.

Do you have to dig up elephant ear bulbs every year?

Treat your summer flowering bulbs as an annual and purchase and replant new bulbs every year or dig your bulbs up this fall and replant them next spring. Either way we're here to help you!

Do elephant ears need to be cut back for winter?

Elephant ears can make for good houseplants, provided with the space, light, and time to give them proper care. If already potted, prune all but the two top leaves, and bring the plant indoors before the first frost. Once inside, keep them in bright, indirect sunlight and moist (not wet) soil.

Where is the best place to plant elephant ears?

Elephant Ears perform best in sun or part shade. While most can be grown in partial shade, the darker colored varieties are best grown in full sun. Provide a sheltered location to protect the decorative leaves from strong winds.

Do elephant ears grow back every year?

RELATED: Most elephant's ears are perennials and will come back every summer in the Lower, Coastal, and Tropical South. Some are perennials in the lower part of the Middle South. They like the soil to be relatively dry in winter.

Where is it best to plant elephant ears?

Elephant ears grow best in a rich, humusy soil that is moist to the point of being wet. This plant is ideal for boggy areas, marshes, swampland, or around water gardens.

Can potted elephant ears survive winter?

Potted Plants Potted elephant ears plants survive winter well when left in the dirt inside their containers. Move the pots to a frost-free spot where they aren't exposed to rain so the soil in the pot remains dry during dormancy.

Do elephant ears need deep pots?

Choose a container that's at least 18 inches wide and 16 inches deep for Colocasia varieties, or 36 inches wide for the larger Alocasia varieties. Using large pots will allow these plants to develop to their greatest potential and it also means you won't need to repot them for several years.