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'
  
Habitat
agricultural areas, Hillside, Warm and moist climatic conditions
  
Lowland evergreen rainforest, Rainforest, Shaded sites, Wild
  
USDA Hardiness Zone
10-11
  
Not Available
  
AHS Heat Zone
12-8
  
Not Available
  
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 22, 23, 24
  
Not Available
  
Habit
Clump-Forming
  
Not Available
  
Plant Size
  
  
Minimum Height
Not Available
  
Minimum Width
Not Available
  
Plant Color
  
  
Flower Color
White, Green
  
Not Available
  
Flower Color Modifier
Not Available
  
Bicolor
  
Fruit Color
Red
  
Not Available
  
Leaf Color in Spring
Dark Green, Ivory
  
Not Available
  
Leaf Color in Summer
Dark Green, Ivory
  
Not Available
  
Leaf Color in Fall
Dark Green, Ivory
  
Not Available
  
Leaf Color in Winter
Dark Green, Ivory
  
Light Green
  
Shape
  
  
Leaf Shape
V-Shaped
  
Linear
  
Thorns
No
  
Not Available
  
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
  
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
  
Growing Conditions
  
  
Sunlight
Partial shade, Full Shade
  
Not Available
  
Growth Rate
Fast
  
Not Available
  
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
  
Not Available
  
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
  
Not Available
  
Soil Drainage
Well drained
  
Not Available
  
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
  
Not Available
  
Repeat Bloomer
No
  
Not Available
  
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
  
Not Available
  
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
  
Not Available
  
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
  
Not Available
  
Sun Exposure
Partial shade, Full Shade
  
Not Available
  
Pruning
No pruning needed
  
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
Not Available
  
Single
  
Fruits
  
  
Showy Fruit
No
  
Not Available
  
Edible Fruit
No
  
Not Available
  
Fragrance
  
  
Fragrant Flower
No
  
Not Available
  
Fragrant Fruit
No
  
Not Available
  
Fragrant Leaf
No
  
Not Available
  
Fragrant Bark/Stem
No
  
Not Available
  
Showy Foliage
Yes
  
Not Available
  
Showy Bark
No
  
Not Available
  
Foliage Texture
Bold
  
Not Available
  
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
  
Not Available
  
Evergreen
No
  
No
  
Invasive
No
  
No
  
Self-Sowing
No
  
Not Available
  
Attracts
Aphids, Bugs, Not Available, Snails
  
Ladybug beetles, Mealybugs, Scale Insects
  
Allergy
Swelling in mouth, Throat itching
  
Not Available
  
Uses
  
  
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
  
Beautification, Borders, Decorating walls, Ground Cover
  
Beauty Benefits
Poison Ivy, Skin cleanser, Weightloss
  
Not Available
  
Edible Uses
Yes
  
No
  
Environmental Uses
No fertilizer, pesticides, or herbicides needed, Prevent weeds
  
Air purification
  
Plant Benefits
  
  
Medicinal Uses
Aging, Laxative, Weight loss
  
Not Available
  
Part of Plant Used
Leaf Stalks, Leaves
  
Not Available
  
Other Uses
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant
  
Used as Ornamental plant, useful as a ground cover
  
Used As Indoor Plant
No
  
Yes
  
Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes
  
Yes
  
Garden Design
Container, Feature Plant, Groundcover, Houseplant, Mixed Border, Tropical
  
Not Available
  
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
  
Not Available
  
Subfamily
Aroideae
  
Bromelioideae
  
Season and Care of Taro and Earth Star
Season and care of Taro and Earth Star is important to know. While considering everything about Taro and Earth Star Care, growing season is an essential factor. Taro season is Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter and Earth Star season is Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter. The type of soil for Taro is Loam, Sand and for Earth Star is Not Available while the PH of soil for Taro is Acidic, Neutral and for Earth Star is Not Available.
Taro and Earth Star Physical Information
Taro and Earth Star physical information is very important for comparison. Taro height is 30.00 cm and width 30.00 cm whereas Earth Star height is Not Available and width Not Available. The color specification of Taro and Earth Star are as follows:
Taro flower color: White and Green
Taro leaf color: Dark Green and Ivory
Earth Star flower color: Not Available
- Earth Star leaf color: Not Available
Care of Taro and Earth Star
Care of Taro and Earth Star include pruning, fertilizers, watering etc. Taro pruning is done No pruning needed and Earth Star pruning is done Pinch or prune as they grow to promote branching and bushiness, Pinching, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches and Remove dead leaves. In summer Taro needs Lots of watering and in winter, it needs Average Water. Whereas, in summer Earth Star needs Lots of watering and in winter, it needs Average Water.