Life Span
Annual
Annual and Perennial
Type
Tender Perennial
Shrub
Origin
Southeastern Asia
South Africa
Types
Eddoe taro, Dasheen taro
Cephalanthus occidentalis
Number of Varieties
2007
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
agricultural areas, Hillside, Warm and moist climatic conditions
Boggy areas, Dappled Shade, Shady Edge, Sunny Edge, Woodland Garden Canopy
USDA Hardiness Zone
10-119-11
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-8
9-1
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 22, 23, 24
H1, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Clump-Forming
Upright/Erect
Plant Size
Minimum Height
30.00 cm365.76 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
30.00 cm182.88 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Green
Light Yellow, Ivory
Flower Color Modifier
-
-
Fruit Color
Red
Brown
Leaf Color in Spring
Dark Green, Ivory
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Dark Green, Ivory
Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Dark Green, Ivory
Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Dark Green, Ivory
Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
V-Shaped
Egg-shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Partial shade, Full Shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Medium
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Average
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Early Spring, Spring, Late Spring, Winter, Late Winter
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Heat Tolerance, Humidity, Salt and Soil Compaction, Shallow soil
Wet Site
Where to Plant?
Container
Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
From Rhizomes
Seedlings, Stem Cutting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Needs 2-3 times watering per week, Needs a lot of water initially
Requires 4 to 8 inches of water above the soil line
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
Average
Sun Exposure
Partial shade, Full Shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
-
Prune in early summer, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves, Trim each shoot back to the first set of leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, Less fertilizing
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Aphids, Rats, Snails
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Heat Tolerance, Salt and Soil Compaction, Shade areas
Wet Site
Flowers
✔
✘
✔
✘
Flower Petal Number
-
-
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Bold
Fine
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Aphids, Bugs, Snails
Butterflies
Allergy
Swelling in mouth, Throat itching
Toxic
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
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
Astringent, Diaphoretic, Diuretic, Emetic, Febrifuge, Laxative, Odontalgic, Ophthalmic, Tonic
Part of Plant Used
Leaf Stalks, Leaves
Bark, Fruits, Inner Bark, Root, Wood
Other Uses
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant
Used for woodware
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Feature Plant, Groundcover, Houseplant, Mixed Border, Tropical
Bog Garden, Cutflower, Dried Flower, Everlasting, Feature Plant, Mixed Border, Tropical
Botanical Name
ALOCASIA micholitziana
BERZELIA lanuginosa
Common Name
Elephant Ear, Taro
Buttonbush
In Hindi
अरवी
Buttonbush shrub
In German
Colocasia (Pflanzengattung)
Button Strauch
In French
Colocasia
buttonbush arbuste
In Spanish
Colocasia
arbusto buttonbush
In Greek
Colocasia
Buttonbush θάμνος
In Portuguese
Colocasia
arbusto Buttonbush
In Polish
Kolokazja
Buttonbush krzew
In Latin
Colocasia
Frutex Buttonbush
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Arales
Rubiales
Family
Araceae
Bruniaceae
Genus
Alocasia
Cephalanthus
Clade
Angiosperms, Monocots
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
Colocasiodeae
-
Subfamily
Aroideae
-
Number of Species
1012
1
27800
👆🏻