Elephant's ear
Also called Taro, Dasheen, Coco yam.
| Light | part shade |
|---|---|
| Water | Every 2 days in the growing season, every 30 in winter |
| Pets | Cats not known, dogs not known |
Source: ASPCA Animal Poison Control, toxic and non-toxic plants, no entry for Colocasia esculenta.
The leaves are the largest of anything in this journal, on stalks that hold them out like drooping shields, and the plant is grown across the tropics as taro for the starchy corm rather than for the look of it. Both uses need the same conditions: wet feet and heavy feeding. It grows in marshes, so unlike almost everything else here it cannot really be overwatered while it is in growth, and a pot standing in a saucer of water all summer suits it. In a cold climate it dies down in autumn and the tuber is lifted and kept dry and frost free until spring. Every part of it is loaded with calcium oxalate, which is why taro has to be cooked before it can be eaten, and it is not a plant for a house with a cat that chews.
Ailments observed
| Brown crisp edges on the leaves | Dry compost or dry air, both of which a marsh plant resents immediately. Water far more than feels reasonable and stand the pot in a saucer through the summer. It is the rare houseplant that cannot be overwatered in growth. |
|---|---|
| Yellow leaves at the bottom of the plant | Autumn, which is normal, or a shortage of feed in midsummer. If the days are shortening, let it die down. Otherwise feed it fortnightly, because it is a very hungry plant. |
Filed underPlants for humid air, Statement plants
Neighbouring entries
Agapanthus
Agapanthus praecoxAgapanthus: planting, sowing and dividing months for both hemispheres, how little water it wants, and why a crowded clump flowers best of all.
Bird of paradise
Strelitzia reginaeBird of paradise care in a pot or a bed, with the sun it needs to flower, why a young plant will not bloom, and how to divide a crowded clump.
Clivia
Clivia miniataClivia: the deep shade it wants, planting months for both hemispheres, the dry winter rest that sets the flowers, and its toxic orange berries.