Life Span
Annual
Perennial
Type
Tender Perennial
Tree
Origin
Southeastern Asia
Southeastern Asia, India
Types
Eddoe taro, Dasheen taro
Saraca asoca
Number of Varieties
2001
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
agricultural areas, Hillside, Warm and moist climatic conditions
Forests, Subtropical forests
USDA Hardiness Zone
10-1110-15
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-8
12-10
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 22, 23, 24
H2
Habit
Clump-Forming
Oval or Rounded
Plant Size
Minimum Height
30.00 cm850.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
30.00 cm1,220.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Green
Yellow, Orange, Gold, Crimson
Flower Color Modifier
-
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Red
Dark Red, Dark Salmon
Leaf Color in Spring
Dark Green, Ivory
Green, Pink, Copper
Leaf Color in Summer
Dark Green, Ivory
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Dark Green, Ivory
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Dark Green, Ivory
Green, Dark Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
V-Shaped
Pinnate
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Partial shade, Full Shade
Partial shade
Growth Rate
Fast
Slow
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Spring, Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Heat Tolerance, Humidity, Salt and Soil Compaction, Shallow soil
-
Where to Plant?
Container
Ground
How to Plant?
From Rhizomes
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Needs 2-3 times watering per week, Needs a lot of water initially
Average Water Needs, Never Over-water, Requires regular watering
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, Full Shade
Partial shade
Pruning
-
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, Less fertilizing
organic fertlizers
Pests and Diseases
Aphids, Rats, Snails
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Heat Tolerance, Salt and Soil Compaction, Shade areas
Drought
Flowers
Insignificant
Showy
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
Bold
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Aphids, Bugs, Snails
Hummingbirds, Butterflies
Allergy
Swelling in mouth, Throat itching
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Beautification, Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
Poison Ivy, Skin cleanser, Weightloss
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
No fertilizer, pesticides, or herbicides needed, Prevent weeds
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Aging, Laxative, Weight loss
Bleeding, hemorrhoids, Used as a sedative
Part of Plant Used
Leaf Stalks, Leaves
Bark, Leaves
Other Uses
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant
Used for its medicinal properties
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Feature Plant, Groundcover, Houseplant, Mixed Border, Tropical
Feature Plant, Shade Trees, Tropical
Botanical Name
ALOCASIA micholitziana
SARACA indica
Common Name
Elephant Ear, Taro
Ashoka Tree, Sorrowless Tree
In Hindi
अरवी
Saraca इंडिका
In German
Colocasia (Pflanzengattung)
SARACA indica
In French
Colocasia
Saraca indica
In Spanish
Colocasia
indica Saraca
In Greek
Colocasia
Saraca indica
In Portuguese
Colocasia
Saraca indica
In Polish
Kolokazja
Saraca indica
In Latin
Colocasia
Saraca indica
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Arales
Fabales
Family
Araceae
Fabaceae
Genus
Alocasia
Saraca
Clade
Angiosperms, Monocots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
Colocasiodeae
Detarieae
Subfamily
Aroideae
-
Number of Species
104
1
27800
👆🏻