Planting DesignDiscover the right plants for your garden.
Elephant ear plants bring to bear in mind lush , tropical forests , add together drama to both garden and container . The most recognized forms have heart- or arrow - shape leaves ( often outsize ) with decorative veining , inspiring the common name elephant ears . No flora satisfies the craving for a taste of the tropics like elephant ear plants . Popular in straightlaced times , they have enjoy a rebirth in the late fad for zone - denying alien industrial plant .
COMMON TYPES OF ELEPHANT EAR PLANTS
Heart to Heart ™ ' Splash of Wine ' . picture by Proven Winners .
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Caladium industrial plant , sometimes called angel wing , are well suited for small garden or grow indoors . Natives of South America , they offer an incredible range of colors , admit gullible , clean and cerise / garden pink .
memorise and care for caladium .
Colocasia EsculentaIllustris . Photo by : Proven Winners .
Originating in tropical parts of Asia and India , Colocasiaplants like it warm and humid . Their leaves place downwardly and they have edible tubers , called taro . Their size of it makes them a great specimen plant . If you ’re prosperous , yours may produce calla lily - like peak .
Warning : CertainColocasiaspecies are consideredinvasive along the Gulf Coast .
Photo by : Daniel Fung / Shutterstock .
Hailing from semitropic Asia and parts of Australia , Alocasiaplants are sometimes call African mask flora . Unlike other elephant ear , their folio designate upwards and their tubers are n’t comestible .
find out and caring forAlocasia .
pic by : Garden World Images Ltd / Alamy Stock Photo .
Natives of tropical America , Xanthosomaplants care very strong and humid weather . LikeColocasia , the genus Tuber ofXanthosomaare edible . This type of elephant ear is less common for growning in home gardens than the other types .
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ELEPHANT EAR PLANT CARE
High drama and bluff texture are the signature benefits of showcasing elephant ears in a garden or container . develop them is simple — they like dribble sun or shade and rich , damp soil . They ’re grow from tuberous rhizomes and can give telling sizes chop-chop .
to the full hardy in Zones 10 to 11 . Elephant pinna will only truly thrive in warm country similar to their native humid climates of Southeast Asia , and with daytime temperatures of 70 to 85F , and nights no down than 60F. They can be grown in coolheaded areas , but will need to be replanted each year .
Most favor permeate sun or spectre , but some tolerate full sunlight . In general , green type can take higher weak level ; darker - leaved ones want more trickle light or shade .
Elephant ears need copious grime that is moist ( not pure ) , but well - run out . Most do n’t like wet feet , though a few are tolerant of soused conditions — like the big - leaved colocasias you might see in water garden . A general rule is big , unripened elephant auricle are much indestructible and can tolerate variable wet conditions ; dark - leaved type will endure if over water and can stay dry for several days .
Watering:
To prevent disease problems , H2O in the morn so they go into the dark dry . If possible , water from below at the radical geographical zone rather than from above , to keep water off the leaves .
Fertlizer:
They ’re not heavy feeders . employ a slow - release plant food at planting time , following package directions . If foliage shows yellow , it ’s belike a micronutrient deficiency . A fertilizer with micronutrients can be applied , or sprinkle Epsom salt around the base of each industrial plant on a monthly basis .
Overwintering and cutting back:
In insensate zones , the tuberous rhizomes can be dig up and put in over winter . In warmer field , they can be left in the ground or in their tummy .
ELEPHANT EAR VARIETIES TO GROW
Their rapid growth creates a show even during a light originate time of year , make them worthy as one - dig annual of welfare to northerly nurseryman . But among the 70 or so species and their cultivars , there are diminished , medium , and large sizes ; leaf flesh from all-encompassing spirit to svelte arrowhead ; colors accentuated with bright veining and spots ; and texture from foxy and shiny to thick and waxy . While their function in garden has given them their current seal , many also make good houseplant .
pic by : Proven Winners .
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This caladium with pinkish , white , and unripened foliage can be get in gay to louche locations , as well as indoors as a houseplant . Grows 15 to 20 inch tall and 8 to 10 in wide . Hardy in zone 10 to 11 , otherwise produce as an annual .
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An refined choice that turn 15 to 20 inch grandiloquent and 8 to 10 inch wide . This shoulder strap - leaf variety can withstand full Dominicus or shade . Hardy in zone 10 to 11 , otherwise acquire as an annual .
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A fancy red form with counterpoint shades of gullible and orangish . develop outside in shade to Sunday , or indoors on a gay windowsill . Hardy in Zones 10 to 11 , otherwise grown as an annual .
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This fancy - leaved miscellanea prefers nuance to part shade and grows 15 to 20 column inch tall and 10 to 14 column inch wide . It has a lemony - immature leaves with hot pinkish centre and vein . Hardy in Zones 10 to 11 , otherwise grown as an annual .
mettle TO core ™ ' SPLASH OF WINE'—Buy now from Proven WinnersCaladium hortulanum
This fancy - folio variety raise to 20 inches improbable and 14 column inch wide-cut and likes status on the shady side . It can also be grown as a houseplant . Hardy in Zones 10 to 11 , otherwise maturate as an yearly .
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This mixed bag grows three to five feet tall in the garden . Its leaves have dramatic gullible veining against a black background . Illustris loves lactating term and is also adaptable as a houseplant . Hardy in Zones 10 to 11 , otherwise grown as an annual .
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This laurels - gain , easy - care variety mature three to five feet tall in the garden . Its dark immature leaf and height make it a perfect thriller centrepiece when used in containers . Hardy in zone 8 to 11 .
photograph by : Chelsea Stickel .
ALOCASIA’CALIDORA '
Big , striking loan-blend ofA. gagaena and A. odora , reaching five to seven feet tall with rounded , sky - point , dark green leave nearly four foot farseeing and three feet full . Forms a “ torso ” and thick sturdy stalks . Easy and fast in a partially sunny location . Hardy in Zones 9 to 11 .
photograph by : Pam Mclean .
A. MACRORRHIZA’BLACKSTEM '
A declamatory elephant capitulum , three to five foot tall , with up - pointing , two - foot wide , dark green leaf , slenderly fluff along the edges . Leaf stalks and veins on the foliage underside are a striking jet black purple . Prefers part sunshine to shade . Hardy in Zones 9 to 11 .
exposure by : Rob Cardillo .
A. LAUTERBACHIANA
A aborigine of New Guinea previously included in the genusXenophya . Long , minute , swordlike leaves , green with a blue stamp on top , mauve - purple to a lower place , and escallop on the edge , are strange for an alocasia and make a striking perpendicular financial statement . Can reach five feet in elevation . Hardy in zona 9 to 11 , maybe Zone 8 with extra wintertime aegis .
A. MICHOLITZIANA‘FRYDEK ’
Velvety emerald - greenish foliage with outstanding bloodless vein are eight to 12 inches long and arrowhead shaped . Grows two to three feet tall in the nicety garden or a container . Attractive purple - ring folio stem add extra stake . Hardy in zone 9 to 11 ; also do an prosperous houseplant .
A.‘HILO BEAUTY ’
mint elephant ear with a mosaic pattern of green , pick and yellow on its leafage . works usually stay under three foot improbable , with leaves one foot long and six inches spacious . A robust grower for a garden with shade or sink in ignitor . Can also be get in a terrarium while a new flora then moved outdoors or into a container . stem - hardy as far Second Earl of Guilford as Zone 8 ; go bad dormant at 45 degrees .
A.‘PURPLE PRINCE ’
A intercrossed elephant ear with waxy , arrowhead - shaped , purplish green leaves with iridescent veining and eggplant - colourise undersides , one to two feet prospicient . Can get to three to four foundation . Prefers shade or vivid diffused light . Hardy in Zones 9 to 11 .
A. RUGOSA
Even when you touch on this elephant ear , it ’s hard to believe it ’s real . chummy , quilted leaves with tweedy grain finger like charge plate . A smaller alocasia , typically eight to 12 inch marvelous . Hardy to Zone 9 outdoors but make an easy houseplant ( or terrarium specimen ) since it is deadening arise and can take the low light and dry strain distinctive of indoor situations .
DESIGNING WITH ELEPHANT EAR PLANTS
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Are elephant ear plants poisonous?
Elephant ear plants are poisonous if ingested in large quantities . The plant ’s foliage and stems hold in oxalic acid , which can stimulate serious illness in children or pets . However , cooking renders the toxin harmless and many cultures have safely run through them for age ( specifically taro root etymon , orColocasia esculenta ) . See moreCommon Poisonous Plants for Dogs and Cats .
Do elephant ear plants bloom?
Yes , they can flower ; however , it is not common or predictable . Some nurseryman report flush ( called spathe ) in outpouring after lend their flora out of doors and fertilizing , while other gardeners never see them bloom . These plant life are grow in the main for their tropic foliage .
Are elephant ear plants perennials?
Most are perennials in Zone 9 and warmer , where they will amount back each summertime . If gardening in cooler zones , you could regale them as annuals or grind up the tubers before the first freeze and keep them in a nerveless , wry post over winter .
When do elephant ear plants sprout?
Elephant ears ordinarily sprout three to eight weeks from planting . germinate happen when the weather start to warm in spring . They will sprout faster in warmer clime than in cool climate . To speed up the process , you may initiate them inside and move them out of doors once it warm up .
Why are my elephant ear plants turning yellow?
If the leaves are plough yellowish , it could stand for there is a trouble . Try changing the amount of sunlight or water the plant gets and possibly lend oneself a plant food . Alternatively , the plant may be run dormant for the time of year . Cut back the yellow leave and look for it to return next outflow .
Do elephant ears spread?
Some elephant ear plant unfold along the ground , while others grow in clump . Runners will quick take form a great mass of plantings , which can be honest or big . If you ’re worried about them circulate out of control , choose a clop variety .
Can elephant ears grow in full sun?
Full Dominicus is not idealistic for most — they get best in bright but indirect sunlight . Too much sunshine can fire the leaf , while too little sunlight can stimulate yellowing . There are certain varieties that can digest full sunlight .
Can you plant elephant ear plants in a pot?
Yes , elephant ear can be found in dope . Since they grow quite bombastic , you ’ll require to take a container that is roomy and unchanging . Container - grown plant can easily be moved inwardly when cold atmospheric condition arrives and enjoyed as houseplant .
Why are my elephant ear plants drooping?
Elephant ears may droop because there is a trouble . Try aline the amount of light or water or applying a plant food . Another reason for swag is that the large leafage become too heavy . Staking can assist support the plant and prevent drooping . Plants will also droop if temperature are too cold for them .
Last update : September 17 , 2021
