Life Span
Annual
Perennial
Type
Tender Perennial
Vegetable
Origin
Southeastern Asia
Southeastern Asia, India
Types
Eddoe taro, Dasheen taro
Red Malabar Spinach, Green Malabar Spinach
Number of Varieties
2005
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
agricultural areas, Hillside, Warm and moist climatic conditions
Hot climate regions, Humid climates
USDA Hardiness Zone
10-11-9999
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-8
12*7
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 22, 23, 24
H1, H2, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Clump-Forming
Vining/Climbing
Plant Size
Minimum Height
30.00 cm2.40 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
30.00 cm24.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Green
Red, Green, Orange Red
Flower Color Modifier
-
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Red
White, Ivory
Leaf Color in Spring
Dark Green, Ivory
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Dark Green, Ivory
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Dark Green, Ivory
Purple, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Dark Green, Ivory
Purple, Gray Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
V-Shaped
Heart-shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Partial shade, Full Shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
Fast
Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
-
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Heat Tolerance, Humidity, Salt and Soil Compaction, Shallow soil
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container
Ground
How to Plant?
From Rhizomes
Leaf Cutting, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Needs 2-3 times watering per week, Needs a lot of water initially
Do not let dry out between waterings, Requires consistently moist soil
In Summer
Lots of watering
Average Water
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral
Neutral
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Partial shade, Full Shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Pruning
-
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, Less fertilizing
Nitrogen
Pests and Diseases
Aphids, Rats, Snails
Aphids
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
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Aphids, Bugs, Snails
-
Allergy
Swelling in mouth, Throat itching
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
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
Folate, Iron, Low calories, Low Fats, Rich in Potassium, ß-carotene, Vitamin A, Vitamin C
Part of Plant Used
Leaf Stalks, Leaves
Leaves
Other Uses
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant
Used As Food
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Feature Plant, Groundcover, Houseplant, Mixed Border, Tropical
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Botanical Name
ALOCASIA micholitziana
BASELLA alba
Common Name
Elephant Ear, Taro
Ceylon Spinach, Malabar Spinach, Red Malabar Spinach
In Hindi
अरवी
पोई
In German
Colocasia (Pflanzengattung)
Malabarspinat
In French
Colocasia
L’épinard de Malabar
In Spanish
Colocasia
espinaca de Malabar
In Greek
Colocasia
Malabar Σπανάκι
In Portuguese
Colocasia
Malabar espinafre
In Polish
Kolokazja
Szpinak Malabar
In Latin
Colocasia
Spinach Malabar
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Eudicotyledones
Order
Arales
Caryophyllales
Family
Araceae
Basellaceae
Genus
Alocasia
Basella
Clade
Angiosperms, Monocots
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Tribe
Colocasiodeae
-
Subfamily
Aroideae
-
Number of Species
1060
1
27800
👆🏻