Life Span
Annual
Annual
Type
Perennial
Tender Perennial
Origin
Mexico, Latin America and the Caribbean, Central America
Southeastern Asia
Types
Perennials
Eddoe taro, Dasheen taro
Number of Varieties
40200
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Desert
agricultural areas, Hillside, Warm and moist climatic conditions
USDA Hardiness Zone
2-1110-11
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12 - 6
12-8
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
H1, H2, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Clump-Forming
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
30.50 cm30.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
20.30 cm30.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Yellow, Gold
White, Green
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
-
Fruit Color
Sandy Brown
Red
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
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
Light Green
Dark Green, Ivory
Shape
Leaf Shape
Lobed
V-Shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Partial shade, Full Shade
Growth Rate
Fast
Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
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
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
Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Type
Well drained
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Partial shade, Full Shade
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
-
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
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
Butterflies
Aphids, Bugs, Snails
Allergy
-
Swelling in mouth, Throat itching
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
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
-
Aging, Laxative, Weight loss
Part of Plant Used
Flowers, Seeds
Leaf Stalks, Leaves
Other Uses
Used as Ornamental plant
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Bedding Plant, Container
Container, Feature Plant, Groundcover, Houseplant, Mixed Border, Tropical
Botanical Name
MELAMPODIUM divaricatum
ALOCASIA micholitziana
Common Name
Butter Daisy, Melampodium
Elephant Ear, Taro
In Hindi
Melampodium
अरवी
In German
Melmpodiam
Colocasia (Pflanzengattung)
In French
Melmpodiam
Colocasia
In Spanish
Melmpodiam
Colocasia
In Greek
Melmpodiam
Colocasia
In Portuguese
Melmpodiam
Colocasia
In Polish
Melmpodiam
Kolokazja
In Latin
Melmpodiam
Colocasia
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Liliopsida
Order
Asterales
Arales
Family
Asteraceae
Araceae
Genus
Melampodium
Alocasia
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Monocots
Tribe
Millerieae
Colocasiodeae
Subfamily
Asteroideae
Aroideae
Number of Species
3910
1
27800
👆🏻