Life Span
Annual and Biennials
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Tender Perennial
Origin
India, Philippines, Southeast Asia
Southeastern Asia
Types
Lagenaria siceraria
Taro Alocasia reginula, Night scented lily
Number of Varieties
270
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Moist Soils, Tropical Climate
Terrestrial, Wet lands
USDA Hardiness Zone
5-710-15
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-1
12-8
Sunset Zone
A1, A2, A3, H1, H2, 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
H1, H2, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Cushion/Mound-forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
60.00 cm20.30 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
90.00 cm30.50 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Yellow, Orange, Dark Green
White
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
-
Fruit Color
Yellow, Dark Green
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Dark Green
Purple, Dark Green, Silver, Black
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Purple, Dark Green, Silver, Black
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Dark Green
Purple, Dark Green, Silver, Black
Leaf Color in Winter
-
Green, Dark Green, Silver, Black
Shape
Leaf Shape
Palmate
Heart-shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Summer, Fall
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade, Full Shade
Growth Rate
Very Fast
Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Full Sun, Humidity
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Divison, From bulbs, From Rhizomes
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Low
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Requires watering in the growing season, water on alternate days
Average Water Needs, Do Not over Water, Never Over-water, Water Deeply
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Average Water
In Winter
Average Water
Less Watering
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade, Full Shade
Pruning
Cut out old flower stalks, Prune after flowering, Remove branches that rub together, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
Prune to stimulate growth, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves, Remove deadheads
Fertilizers
High potassium diluted feed of 5-10-5, Nitrogen, Potassium
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, Nitrogen, Phosphorous, Potassium
Pests and Diseases
Army-worms, Bacteria wilt, Bacterial leaf spot, Blight, Cucumber beetles, Cutworms, Fusarium leaf spot, Leaf rust, Red spider mite, Striped cucumber beetles
Blight, Mites, Red spider mite
Plant Tolerance
Full Sun, Salt and Soil Compaction, Shallow soil
Full Sun, Humidity
Flowers
Showy
Insignificant
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Coarse
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Bees, Flies, Flying insects
Spider Mites
Allergy
Hypoglycaemic Coma, Irregular Heart Rhythm
Toxic
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Decorating walls, Ornamental use
Beautification, Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
Anti-ageing, Making cosmetics
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Food for animals, Insect Repellent
Air purification, Food for insects
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Anti-fungal, Blood disorders, Culinary Usage, Diabetes, Gastrointestinal disorders, Laxative, Nutritive, Weight loss
-
Part of Plant Used
Fruits
-
Other Uses
Cosmetics, Culinary use, Repellent, Used in making musical instruments
Air freshner, Decoration Purposes, Showy Purposes, Used as Ornamental plant
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Dried Flower/Everlasting, Vine
Bedding Plant, Container, Feature Plant, Houseplant, Mixed Border, Tropical
Botanical Name
Lagenaria siceraria
ALOCASIA reginula
Common Name
calabash, bottle gourd, white-flowered gourd, opo squash
Elephant Ear
In Hindi
लौकी
Elephant Ear
In German
Flaschenkürbis
Elephant Ear
In French
Lagenaria siceraria
Elephant Ear
In Spanish
Lagenaria siceraria
Elephant Ear
In Greek
Τσότρα
Elephant Ear
In Portuguese
Cabaça
Elephant Ear
In Polish
Tykwa pospolita
Elephant Ear
In Latin
utrem cucurbita
Elephant Ear
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Liliopsida
Order
Cucurbitales
Alismatales
Family
Cucurbitaceae
Araceae
Genus
Coccinia
Alocasia
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Monocots
Tribe
-
Colocasiodeae
Subfamily
Papilionoideae
Aroideae
Number of Species
2779
1
27800
👆🏻