Elephant ears

Sun

Partial shade to full sun; full sun needs consistently wet soil. Shelter from strong winds, which tear the leaves.

Water

High water needs during active growth. Keep the root zone consistently moist to wet; reduce watering sharply when dormant.

Soil

Rich, moisture-retentive soil with plenty of organic matter. Tolerates boggy ground during warm weather, but cold, saturated soil can rot dormant corms.

Height

3-6 ft (0.9-1.8 m)

Spread

2-4 ft (0.6-1.2 m), spreading farther by runners in warm, wet conditions

Foliage

Large green, heart-shaped leaves with prominent veins and downward-pointing tips. The leaf stalk joins the underside of the blade inward from its edge.

Growth

Fast in warm weather with ample water and nutrients.

Care needed

Medium

• Plant outside after frost risk has passed and the soil has warmed.
• Water deeply and frequently during growth; check containers daily in hot weather.
• Feed container plants with a balanced liquid fertiliser according to the label during active growth.
• Mulch to conserve moisture, keeping mulch away from the leaf-stalk bases during summer.
• At the colder end of its hardiness range, apply a deep winter mulch; where winters are colder, lift the corms or move pots indoors before a hard freeze.
• Divide crowded clumps in spring as new growth begins.

Pruning. Cut yellowing or badly damaged leaves off near the base whenever needed, wearing gloves to avoid the sap. After frost blackens the foliage, remove it before mulching or lifting the corms.

Early spring

Check stored corms for rot and pot up sound ones somewhere warm and bright.

Late spring

Gradually acclimatise indoor-grown plants to outdoor conditions, then plant out after frost risk has passed.

Summer

Keep soil consistently moist and feed container plants regularly.

Late summer

Remove damaged leaves and contain runners before they spread beyond the planting area.

Autumn

Before a hard freeze, move pots under cover or lift corms, remove foliage and let their surfaces dry.

Winter

Keep dormant corms frost-free in barely moist packing material, checking periodically for rot or shrivelling.

• Plant beside a sheltered pond or in a contained bog bed for large leaves reflected in water.
• Use a large container as a seasonal focal point on a sheltered patio.
• Combine with cannas and hardy bananas for a layered tropical-looking border.
• Set behind fine-textured sedges and ferns to emphasise the contrast in leaf size.

Garden styles it suits: Modern tropical, Tropical, Architectural minimal, Bog garden, Modern courtyard and Balinese.

Plant it with: Cannas, Hardy banana, Japanese forest grass, Royal fern, Japanese iris and Sedges.

Wildlife: Offers shelter around wet planting areas, but is not a dependable nectar or pollen plant in temperate gardens. Do not introduce it into natural wetlands.

• Spider mites in hot, dry conditions: rinse leaf undersides regularly and use an insecticidal soap labelled for the pest if needed.
• Aphids on young growth: wash them off with water and inspect unfolding leaves.
• Corm rot during cold, wet dormancy: reduce winter moisture, keep stored corms frost-free and discard soft, rotten material.
• Brown leaf edges or wilting: check for dry soil and wind exposure; water thoroughly and provide shelter or afternoon shade.

All parts, including leaves, stalks and corms, are toxic when raw to people, cats, dogs and horses because they contain irritating calcium oxalate crystals. Chewing can cause intense mouth pain, drooling, swelling, vomiting and difficulty swallowing; breathing difficulty requires emergency help. Sap can irritate skin and eyes. Although taro is a food crop when correctly processed and cooked, do not eat raw garden material.

Where it spreads. Spreads aggressively by runners and corm fragments in warm wetlands. It is invasive in parts of the southeastern United States, including Florida, Louisiana and Texas, and is an environmental weed in parts of eastern Australia, including Queensland and New South Wales. Keep it out of natural waterways and never dump surplus plants or corms.

• Giant elephant ear (Alocasia macrorrhizos)

  Usually holds its leaves more upright, with the stalk meeting the blade at the basal notch rather than inward on the underside.

• Arrowleaf elephant ear (Xanthosoma sagittifolium)

  Has more distinctly arrow-shaped leaves, with the stalk attached at the open basal notch; Colocasia has its stalk attached inward from the edge.

• Giant taro (Leucocasia gigantea)

  Typically develops much larger, paler green leaves with a more upright habit and conspicuously pale, thick stalks.

Elephant ears refers to the size and shape of the leaves, while the Latin species name esculenta means edible, referring to its traditional use after proper preparation.

Propagation. Separate rooted offsets or divide corms in spring, keeping a healthy growing bud on each division. Start divisions in warmth and keep moist but not waterlogged until growth is established.

Accepted botanical name

Colocasia esculenta

In the US and Canada

Introduced in Hawaii, the lower 48 states, Pacific Basin and Puerto Rico.

Native range

Assam, Bangladesh, China South-Central, China Southeast, East Himalaya, India, Laos, Malaya, Myanmar, Nepal, Sumatera and Taiwan.

Measured

Average height 131 cm.

Sources: GBIF (CC BY 4.0), USDA PLANTS and Trefle (CC BY 4.0). The care and design notes are LandscapeGPT's own.