Life Span
Perennial
Annual
Type
Tree
Tender Perennial
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India
Southeastern Asia
Types
Saraca asoca
Eddoe taro, Dasheen taro
Number of Varieties
1200
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Forests, Subtropical forests
agricultural areas, Hillside, Warm and moist climatic conditions
USDA Hardiness Zone
10-1510-11
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-10
12-8
Sunset Zone
H2
H1, H2, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Oval or Rounded
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
850.00 cm30.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
1,220.00 cm30.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Yellow, Orange, Gold, Crimson
White, Green
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
-
Fruit Color
Dark Red, Dark Salmon
Red
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Pink, Copper
Dark Green, Ivory
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Dark Green, Ivory
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Dark Green
Dark Green, Ivory
Leaf Color in Winter
Green, Dark Green
Dark Green, Ivory
Shape
Leaf Shape
Pinnate
V-Shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Partial shade
Partial shade, Full Shade
Growth Rate
Slow
Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Spring, Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer
Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
-
Heat Tolerance, Humidity, Salt and Soil Compaction, Shallow soil
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container
How to Plant?
Seedlings
From Rhizomes
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs, Never Over-water, Requires regular watering
Needs 2-3 times watering per week, Needs a lot of water initially
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Partial shade
Partial shade, Full Shade
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
-
Fertilizers
organic fertlizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, Less fertilizing
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Aphids, Rats, Snails
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Heat Tolerance, Salt and Soil Compaction, Shade areas
Flowers
Showy
Insignificant
Flower Petal Number
Single
-
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Medium
Bold
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Hummingbirds, Butterflies
Aphids, Bugs, Snails
Allergy
-
Swelling in mouth, Throat itching
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Beautification, Showy Purposes
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
Poison Ivy, Skin cleanser, Weightloss
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
No fertilizer, pesticides, or herbicides needed, Prevent weeds
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Bleeding, hemorrhoids, Used as a sedative
Aging, Laxative, Weight loss
Part of Plant Used
Bark, Leaves
Leaf Stalks, Leaves
Other Uses
Used for its medicinal properties
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Feature Plant, Shade Trees, Tropical
Container, Feature Plant, Groundcover, Houseplant, Mixed Border, Tropical
Botanical Name
SARACA indica
ALOCASIA micholitziana
Common Name
Ashoka Tree, Sorrowless Tree
Elephant Ear, Taro
In Hindi
Saraca इंडिका
अरवी
In German
SARACA indica
Colocasia (Pflanzengattung)
In French
Saraca indica
Colocasia
In Spanish
indica Saraca
Colocasia
In Greek
Saraca indica
Colocasia
In Portuguese
Saraca indica
Colocasia
In Polish
Saraca indica
Kolokazja
In Latin
Saraca indica
Colocasia
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Liliopsida
Order
Fabales
Arales
Family
Fabaceae
Araceae
Genus
Saraca
Alocasia
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Monocots
Tribe
Detarieae
Colocasiodeae
Subfamily
-
Aroideae
Number of Species
410
1
27800
👆🏻