Life Span
Annual
Perennial
Type
Tender Perennial
Tree
Origin
Southeastern Asia
Southeastern Asia, India, China
Types
Eddoe taro, Dasheen taro
Tropical Fruit Tree
Number of Varieties
20010
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
agricultural areas, Hillside, Warm and moist climatic conditions
Subtropical forests, Tropical Forests
USDA Hardiness Zone
10-1110-15
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-8
12-9
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 22, 23, 24
H1, H2, 24
Habit
Clump-Forming
Spreading
Plant Size
Minimum Height
30.00 cm1,220.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
30.00 cm1,370.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Green
Ivory
Flower Color Modifier
-
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Red
Green, Yellow green, Brown
Leaf Color in Spring
Dark Green, Ivory
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Dark Green, Ivory
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Dark Green, Ivory
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Dark Green, Ivory
Dark Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
V-Shaped
Oblong or Lanceolate
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 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
Cuttings, 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
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
-
Remove dead branches
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, Less fertilizing
Put diluted fertilizers
Pests and Diseases
Aphids, Rats, Snails
Chlorosis, Susceptible to insect pests and moulds
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
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Aphids, Bugs, Snails
-
Allergy
Swelling in mouth, Throat itching
-
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
Antibacterial, Antidiabetic, Antifungal, antimicrobial, Astringent, Expectorant
Part of Plant Used
Leaf Stalks, Leaves
Bark, Fruits, Leaves
Other Uses
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant
Jam, Jelly, used in Indian cuisine in curries
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Feature Plant, Groundcover, Houseplant, Mixed Border, Tropical
Edible, Feature Plant, Fruit / Fruit Tree, Shade Trees, Tropical
Botanical Name
ALOCASIA micholitziana
DILLENIA indica
Common Name
Elephant Ear, Taro
Chulta, Elephant Apple
In Hindi
अरवी
Elephant Apple
In German
Colocasia (Pflanzengattung)
Elefant von Apple
In French
Colocasia
Elephant d'Apple
In Spanish
Colocasia
El elefante de Apple
In Greek
Colocasia
ελέφαντας της Apple
In Portuguese
Colocasia
Elefante da Apple
In Polish
Kolokazja
Słoń Jabłko
In Latin
Colocasia
Elephant Apple
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Arales
Dilleniales
Family
Araceae
Dilleniaceae
Genus
Alocasia
Dillenia
Clade
Angiosperms, Monocots
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Tribe
Colocasiodeae
-
Subfamily
Aroideae
-
Number of Species
101
1
27800
👆🏻