Life Span
Annual
Annual
Type
Vegetable
Tender Perennial
Origin
Central America, Mexico
Southeastern Asia
Types
Slicing, Pickling and burpless
Eddoe taro, Dasheen taro
Number of Varieties
3200
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Floodplains, Wet forest
agricultural areas, Hillside, Warm and moist climatic conditions
USDA Hardiness Zone
7-810-11
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-1
12-8
Sunset Zone
A3, 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
Vining/Climbing
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
15.20 cm30.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
180.00 cm30.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Yellow, Gold
White, Green
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
-
Fruit Color
Green
Red
Leaf Color in Spring
Light Green
Dark Green, Ivory
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Dark Green, Ivory
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Dark Green, Yellow green
Dark Green, Ivory
Leaf Color in Winter
-
Dark Green, Ivory
Shape
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
V-Shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Summer, Fall
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Partial shade, Full Shade
Growth Rate
Very Fast
Fast
Type of Soil
Loam
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Indeterminate
Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Heat Tolerance, Humidity, Salt and Soil Compaction, Shallow soil
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground
Container
How to Plant?
Seedlings, Stem Planting
From Rhizomes
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Keep ground moist, Requires a lot of watering, Requires regular watering, Requires watering in the growing season
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
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Type
Loam
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Partial shade, Full Shade
Pruning
Prune after flowering, Remove shoots
-
Fertilizers
Compost, organic fertlizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, Less fertilizing
Pests and Diseases
Bacteria wilt, Fungal Diseases, fungus, Fusarium wilt, Leaf spot, Striped cucumber beetles
Aphids, Rats, Snails
Plant Tolerance
Cold climate
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
Coarse
Bold
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Ants, Birds, Flying insects, Insects, Rats, Squirrels
Aphids, Bugs, Snails
Allergy
Throat itching, Vomiting
Swelling in mouth, Throat itching
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
Poison Ivy, Skin cleanser, Weightloss
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Food for animals, Food for birds
No fertilizer, pesticides, or herbicides needed, Prevent weeds
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Antioxidants, Combats Stress, Fiber, Improve heart health, Indigestion, Inflammation, Rich in Iron
Aging, Laxative, Weight loss
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Seeds
Leaf Stalks, Leaves
Other Uses
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Vine
Container, Feature Plant, Groundcover, Houseplant, Mixed Border, Tropical
Botanical Name
MELOTHRIA scabra
ALOCASIA micholitziana
Common Name
Mexican Sour Gherkins, cucamelon
Elephant Ear, Taro
In Hindi
Mousemelon
अरवी
In German
Maus Melone
Colocasia (Pflanzengattung)
In French
Mousemelon
Colocasia
In Spanish
Mousemelon
Colocasia
In Greek
πεπόνι ποντίκι
Colocasia
In Portuguese
melão rato
Colocasia
In Polish
mysz melona
Kolokazja
In Latin
mouse melon
Colocasia
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Liliopsida
Order
Cucurbitales
Arales
Family
Cucurbitaceae
Araceae
Genus
Cucumis
Alocasia
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Monocots
Tribe
Melothrieae
Colocasiodeae
Subfamily
Cucurbitoideae
Aroideae
Number of Species
5010
1
27800
👆🏻