Life Span
Annual
Perennial
Type
Tender Perennial
Tender Perennial
Origin
Southeastern Asia
North America, Mexico, Latin America and the Caribbean, Caribbean, Central America, South America
Types
Eddoe taro, Dasheen taro
Cryptanthus 'Absolute Zero'
Cryptanthus 'Agate'
Cryptanthus 'Alberta'
Cryptanthus 'Alpine Frost'
Number of Varieties
200480
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
agricultural areas, Hillside, Warm and moist climatic conditions
Lowland evergreen rainforest, Rainforest, Shaded sites, Wild
USDA Hardiness Zone
10-11-9999
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-8
-
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 22, 23, 24
-
Habit
Clump-Forming
-
Plant Size
Minimum Height
30.00 cm20.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
30.00 cm15.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Green
-
Flower Color Modifier
-
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Red
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Dark Green, Ivory
-
Leaf Color in Summer
Dark Green, Ivory
-
Leaf Color in Fall
Dark Green, Ivory
-
Leaf Color in Winter
Dark Green, Ivory
Light Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
V-Shaped
Linear
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Partial shade, Full Shade
-
Growth Rate
Fast
-
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
-
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
-
Soil Drainage
Well drained
-
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
-
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Heat Tolerance, Humidity, Salt and Soil Compaction, Shallow soil
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
From Rhizomes
Cuttings, Leaf Cutting, 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, Do not water excessively, Keep the Soil well drained
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral
-
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
-
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
-
Sun Exposure
Partial shade, Full Shade
-
Pruning
-
Pinch or prune as they grow to promote branching and bushiness, Pinching, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, Less fertilizing
Does not require fertilizer once established
Pests and Diseases
Aphids, Rats, Snails
Pests and diseases free, Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Heat Tolerance, Salt and Soil Compaction, Shade areas
Variety of soil types
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
-
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
-
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Aphids, Bugs, Snails
Ladybug beetles, Mealybugs, Scale Insects
Allergy
Swelling in mouth, Throat itching
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Beautification, Borders, Decorating walls, Ground Cover
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
-
Part of Plant Used
Leaf Stalks, Leaves
-
Other Uses
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant
Used as Ornamental plant, useful as a ground cover
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Feature Plant, Groundcover, Houseplant, Mixed Border, Tropical
-
Botanical Name
ALOCASIA micholitziana
CRYPTANTHUS
Common Name
Elephant Ear, Taro
Cryptanthus, Earth Star
In Hindi
अरवी
Earth Star
In German
Colocasia (Pflanzengattung)
Erdstern
In French
Colocasia
Terre étoile
In Spanish
Colocasia
estrella de la tierra
In Greek
Colocasia
γη αστεριών
In Portuguese
Colocasia
Estrela da terra
In Polish
Kolokazja
Gwiazda ziemi
In Latin
Colocasia
terra, stella
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Tracheophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Liliopsida
Order
Arales
Bromeliales
Family
Araceae
Bromeliaceae
Genus
Alocasia
Cryptanthus
Clade
Angiosperms, Monocots
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Tribe
Colocasiodeae
-
Subfamily
Aroideae
Bromelioideae
Number of Species
1050
1
27800
👆🏻