Life Span
Annual
Perennial
Type
Tender Perennial
Tree
Origin
Southeastern Asia
Southern Asia, Southeastern Asia, India, China, Melanesia, Australia
Types
Eddoe taro, Dasheen taro
Ceiba casearia, Bombax pentandrum
Number of Varieties
20010
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
agricultural areas, Hillside, Warm and moist climatic conditions
Tropical regions
USDA Hardiness Zone
10-119-15
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-8
12-7
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 22, 23, 24
H1, H2, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Clump-Forming
Oval or Rounded
Plant Size
Minimum Height
30.00 cm1,830.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
30.00 cm1,830.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Green
Red, Orange Red
Flower Color Modifier
-
Bicolor
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
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
V-Shaped
Palmate
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Partial shade, Full Shade
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Medium
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Early Spring, Late Winter
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Heat Tolerance, Humidity, Salt and Soil Compaction, Shallow soil
Drought
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
In Summer
Lots of watering
Moderate
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
Full Sun
Pruning
-
Prune when young, Remove dead branches
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, Less fertilizing
Nitrogen
Pests and Diseases
Aphids, Rats, Snails
Bacterial leaf spot, Red blotch, Root rot
Plant Tolerance
Heat Tolerance, Salt and Soil Compaction, Shade areas
Drought, Soil Compaction
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
Bees, Birds, Hummingbirds
Allergy
Swelling in mouth, Throat itching
Headache, Pulmonary oedema, Respiratory distress, wheezing
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
-
Beauty Benefits
Poison Ivy, Skin cleanser, Weightloss
Improve skin tone, Making cosmetics, Moisturizing, Skin irritation
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
No fertilizer, pesticides, or herbicides needed, Prevent weeds
No fertilizer, pesticides, or herbicides needed, Prevent Soil Erosion, soil stabilisation
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Aging, Laxative, Weight loss
Aphrodisiac, Diuretic
Part of Plant Used
Leaf Stalks, Leaves
Leaves, Seeds
Other Uses
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant
Oil is used as an industrial solvent, Used as Ornamental plant
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
Ceiba pentandra
Common Name
Elephant Ear, Taro
Cotton Tree, Red Kapok, Red-silk-cotton Tree
In Hindi
अरवी
सफ़ेद सेमल / शाल्मली
In German
Colocasia (Pflanzengattung)
Kapok baum
In French
Colocasia
Fromager
In Spanish
Colocasia
Ceiba
In Greek
Colocasia
Ceiba
In Portuguese
Colocasia
Mafumeira
In Polish
Kolokazja
Puchowiec pięciopręcikowy
In Latin
Colocasia
Ceiba
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Arales
Malvales
Family
Araceae
Bombacaceae
Genus
Alocasia
Ceiba
Clade
Angiosperms, Monocots
Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
Colocasiodeae
-
Subfamily
Aroideae
-
Number of Species
1010
1
27800
👆🏻