Life Span
Annual
Perennial
Type
Tender Perennial
Tender Perennial
Origin
Southeastern Asia
Southeastern Asia, India, Melanesia, Micronesia
Types
Eddoe taro, Dasheen taro
Variegata Dwarf, Variegata Chinese Beauty
Number of Varieties
Not Available
Habitat
agricultural areas, Hillside, Warm and moist climatic conditions
Tropical regions
USDA Hardiness Zone
10-11
8-15
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 22, 23, 24
H1, H2, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Clump-Forming
Clump-Forming
Flower Color
White, Green
White, Red, Light Pink
Flower Color Modifier
Not Available
Multi-Color
Fruit Color
Red
Not Available
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
Leaf Shape
V-Shaped
Lance shaped
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Sunlight
Partial shade, Full Shade
Partial Sun, Partial shade
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Average
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer
Tolerances
Heat Tolerance, Humidity, Salt and Soil Compaction, Shallow soil
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
From Rhizomes
By dividing rhizomes, tubers
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Requirements
Needs 2-3 times watering per week, Needs a lot of water initially
Requires plenty of water during the growing season
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Average
Sun Exposure
Partial shade, Full Shade
Partial Sun, Partial shade
Pruning
No pruning needed
Cut off the flower stalks at the base of the plant, Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, Less fertilizing
Apply 8-4-6 amount
Pests and Diseases
Aphids, Rats, Snails
No serious insect or disease problems
Plant Tolerance
Heat Tolerance, Salt and Soil Compaction, Shade areas
Drought
Flowers
Insignificant
Showy
Flower Petal Number
Not Available
Single
Fragrant Bark/Stem
No
Yes
Foliage Texture
Bold
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Glossy
Attracts
Aphids, Bugs, Not Available, Snails
Butterflies, Not Available
Allergy
Swelling in mouth, Throat itching
Rash
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
Poison Ivy, Skin cleanser, Weightloss
Good for skin
Environmental Uses
No fertilizer, pesticides, or herbicides needed, Prevent weeds
Air purification
Medicinal Uses
Aging, Laxative, Weight loss
Antiulcerogenic, Diuretic, Hypotensive
Part of Plant Used
Leaf Stalks, Leaves
Leaves, Rhizomes
Other Uses
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant
Can be made into a herbal tea, Leaves used for wrapping zongi, Used to flavour noodles, Used to wrap mochi rice cakes
Used As Indoor Plant
No
Yes
Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes
Yes
Garden Design
Container, Feature Plant, Groundcover, Houseplant, Mixed Border, Tropical
Container, Cutflower, Mixed Border, Screening / Wind Break, Tropical
Botanical Name
ALOCASIA micholitziana
ALPINIA zerumbet
Common Name
Elephant Ear, Taro
Shell Ginger
In Hindi
अरवी
Shell Ginger
In German
Colocasia (Pflanzengattung)
Shell Ginger
In French
Colocasia
Shell Ginger
In Spanish
Colocasia
Shell jengibre
In Greek
Colocasia
Shell Τζίντζερ
In Portuguese
Colocasia
Shell Ginger
In Polish
Kolokazja
Shell Imbir
In Latin
Colocasia
Crusta Ginger
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Lilopsida
Order
Arales
Zingiberales
Family
Araceae
Zingiberaceae
Clade
Angiosperms, Monocots
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Tribe
Colocasiodeae
Alpinieae
Subfamily
Aroideae
Alpinioideae
Number of Species
Not Available
Season and Care of Taro and Shell Ginger
Season and care of Taro and Shell Ginger is important to know. While considering everything about Taro and Shell Ginger Care, growing season is an essential factor. Taro season is Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter and Shell Ginger season is Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter. The type of soil for Taro is Loam, Sand and for Shell Ginger is Loam, Sand while the PH of soil for Taro is Acidic, Neutral and for Shell Ginger is Acidic, Neutral.
Taro and Shell Ginger Physical Information
Taro and Shell Ginger physical information is very important for comparison. Taro height is 30.00 cm and width 30.00 cm whereas Shell Ginger height is 180.00 cm and width 120.00 cm. The color specification of Taro and Shell Ginger are as follows:
Taro flower color: White and Green
Taro leaf color: Dark Green and Ivory
Shell Ginger flower color: White, Red and Light Pink
- Shell Ginger leaf color: Dark Green
Care of Taro and Shell Ginger
Care of Taro and Shell Ginger include pruning, fertilizers, watering etc. Taro pruning is done No pruning needed and Shell Ginger pruning is done Cut off the flower stalks at the base of the plant, Remove dead leaves and Remove dead or diseased plant parts. In summer Taro needs Lots of watering and in winter, it needs Average Water. Whereas, in summer Shell Ginger needs Lots of watering and in winter, it needs Average Water.
