Elephant Ears (additionally know as Colocasias, Alocasias, or Xanthosoma) are heat climate vegetation with massive outsized heart-shaped leaves that resemble the ears of an elephant. Whereas the sorts of vegetation are native to completely different elements of the world (South America, Central America, Asia, Africa, and Australia), they’re identified to be easy-to-grow vegetation that thrive in hotter climates. However they can be utilized as annuals, that are dug as much as winter indoors till it’s heat once more in cooler areas.
Elephant Ears are additionally identified for his or her fast-growing foliage and the means to succeed in a mature measurement in only one rising season, making them decide for fast summer season greenery or as a focus in a flower mattress. Quite than conventional bulbs, Elephant Ears develop from corms (additionally referred to as “tubers”), that are a swollen underground stem that resembles a bulb they usually develop over time as they’re planted time and again.
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Continuously Requested Questions
Are Elephant Ears poisonous to pets or people?
Sure, Elephant Ears are poisonous to each pets and people, so care ought to be taken to put them out of attain of children or pets that could be tempted to nibble on them. It’s additionally a good suggestion to put on lengthy sleeves and gloves when pruning the vegetation because it accommodates a compound that may irritate pores and skin with direct contact.
Can Elephant Ear vegetation keep exterior within the winter?
You’ll need to examine the chilly hardiness zones for the number of plant that you just purchase as it could possibly fluctuate from one plant to the subsequent. Some winter exterior in areas as chilly as zone 6 whereas others can solely tolerate a zone 9 winter.
How typically ought to I water Elephant Ears?
Elephant Ears are excessive water vegetation and the extra water you give them, the extra they may develop! Whereas the bulk choose to have moist (not soggy) soil, some varieties may even be put right into a pot that’s submerged in water and grown as a marsh or pond plant. Throughout summer season, potted vegetation will should be watered each day (and even a number of instances a day) to keep away from the soil drying out.
How a lot daylight do Elephant Ears want?
Most varieties need full solar to partial shade, however there are some like Black Magic that choose a good shadier scenario. If the local weather is extraordinarily scorching, an space that gives some afternoon shade is preferable. Crops with darker leaves want extra gentle to maintain their coloration, however the sunnier the spot, the extra you’ll need to water the plant to maintain up with its moisture necessities.
In case you are protecting your plant indoors as a houseplant, you’ll need to discover a sunny window the place it would obtain numerous vibrant, oblique gentle. Keep away from direct daylight on a houseplant as that may trigger leaf burn.
Ought to I fertilize my Elephant Ears?
Like numerous different massive tropical vegetation, Elephant Ears do nicely with heavy feeding, so that you can provide them basic function fertilizer a minimum of as soon as a month.
Temperature and Humidity for Elephant Ears
As they’re principally tropical vegetation, Elephant Ears choose daytime temperatures round 70°F and don’t wish to go beneath 60°F at night time. Most vegetation can’t deal with a winter beneath USDA zones 8 or 9, apart from varieties just like the Colocasia esculenta Pink China that may survive cooler climates like zone 6.
These vegetation thrive in excessive humidity, so they may wrestle outdoor in a hot-yet-dry local weather. You should use a humidifier close to an Elephant Ear houseplant or mist the plant typically.
Planting Elephant Ears
Test the number of Elephant Ear you’ve for spacing earlier than planting as they will develop between 2-6′ extensive. You’ll need to wait to plant till nighttime temperatures are constantly between 50-60°F. Plant corms 4-6″ deep (bigger corms are planted on the deeper facet) in nicely draining soil.
If rising in a container, plant the Elephant Ear in nicely draining soil in a big container with drainage holes. Use a mixture of potting combine (add vermiculite or perlite to assist the soil correctly drain if not already included in your combine) and a heavy dose of natural matter for vitamins (issues like plant roots, leaves, mulch and animal manures).
Repotting Elephant Ears
You’ll be able to repot a potted Elephant Ear that’s outgrown its container by dividing the plant, separating any new corms from the primary bulb, and repotting the divided plant and new corms in recent soil.
Pruning Elephant Ears
Through the summer season rising season, you possibly can reduce off any brown leaves on indoor or out of doors vegetation on the base of the plant to make method for brand new progress.
In case you are leaving your Elephant Ears exterior all yr lengthy, you’ll need to reduce them again to arrange them for winter. After the primary frost, you must reduce the plant stalks right down to about 2-3″ off the bottom and the plant will regrow throughout the subsequent heat season.
TIP: It’s a good suggestion to put on lengthy sleeves and gloves when pruning an Elephant Ear because it accommodates a compound that may irritate pores and skin with direct contact.
Overwintering
Earlier than the primary frost, in zones 3-7, vegetation should be dug up and introduced inside. You’ll be able to both prune again the stems and dig the corm as much as retailer in a cool, dry place over the winter (like a basement or storage so long as it’s not freezing in there). Lay the freshly dug corm out to air dry for every week to forestall root rot, then wrap in paper and retailer in a cardboard field.
To create a houseplant over the winter, you possibly can go away a few leaves intact and plant the Elephant Ear in a container till the climate warms up once more. In case you selected the houseplant route, you’ll need to “harden” the vegetation within the spring by shifting them to a coated porch for a number of days to acclimate to the outside earlier than planting within the floor.
Propagating and Dividing Elephant Ears
Once you dig up your corm on the finish of a season, you’ll see that there are smaller corms beginning to offshoot from the primary bulb. Sporting gloves to guard from the sap, merely break off the smaller corms (or reduce off with a sterile knife), permit the reduce areas to dry and heal, after which wrap them in paper to retailer along with your fundamental corms over the winter. Plant the small corms within the spring to provide extra vegetation.
Kinds of Elephant Ears
The selection of Elephant Ear varieties is quite a few, however the most well-liked ones come from the Alocasia, Colocasia, and Xanthosoma genus:
Alocasia
- Polly: A smaller cultivar, this plant showcases ruffled leaves with white veins.
- Zebrina: A standout species with zebra-striped stems.
Colocasia
- Espresso Cups: This hybrid plant boasts a novel leaf form because the foliage folds upwards to type a cup form.
- Black Magic: This selection has purple-black leaves and is without doubt one of the hottest black leaf cultivars.
- Thailand Big: One of many largest varieties, these leaves can develop as much as 4′ extensive by 5′ lengthy.
- Illustris: Extraordinarily darkish inexperienced matte leaves are the hallmark of this plant. Shiny inexperienced veins accent the leaves, and, fairly than corms, the vegetation unfold by underground runners.
Xanthosoma
- Lime Zinger: These massive chartreuse to lime-green leaves have arrow-shaped leaves. It grows 2 to 4′ tall and as much as 3′ extensive.
- X. lindenii: This selection showcases a fantastic silvery and white leaf.
Diagnosing frequent issues
- Pests: Aphids, mealybugs, and spider mites are the primary pests for Elephant Ears. If an an infection happens, apply a horticultural cleaning soap to the leaves to deal with the pests.
- Fungal leaf blight: A extra frequent problem for Elephant Ears, should you see lesions that ooze a purple or yellow fluid, you’ll need to take away the affected stalks and leaves earlier than it spreads to the remainder of the plant.
- Yellow leaves: This generally is a signal that the plant is getting both an excessive amount of or too little daylight, that you’re overwatering or under-watering, or that you’re over fertilizing or beneath fertilizing. Tweak your water and feeding first to see if that helps after which take into account altering its location if the yellowing continues. Yellow leaves can even seem when the plant is just beginning to go dormant for the season.
- Drooping leaves: Leaves can droop in the event that they turn into too heavy (you should use a stake if wanted) or as a result of it’s good to regulate their water, meals, or gentle degree. Temperature can even trigger the leaves to droop if it turns into too chilly.
- Wilted leaves: Usually, wilting leaves are on account of too little gentle or water. Attempt watering extra typically and transfer to a much less sunnier spot if that doesn’t do the trick.
- Stunted leaves: Leaves that keep smaller or develop in deformed often point out that you just want extra meals, gentle, or water.
Continuously Requested Questions
Is Elephant Ear the identical as Taro?
Colocasia esculenta is the species of Elephant Ear that Taro comes from. The corms of the plant are harvested and used equally to potatoes for meals after being peeled and cooked.
