Life Span
Annual and Perennial
Perennial
Type
Shrub
Tender Perennial
Origin
South Africa
Southeastern Asia
Types
Cephalanthus occidentalis
Taro Alocasia reginula, Night scented lily
Number of Varieties
770
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Boggy areas, Dappled Shade, Shady Edge, Sunny Edge, Woodland Garden Canopy
Terrestrial, Wet lands
USDA Hardiness Zone
9-1110-15
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
9-1
12-8
Sunset Zone
H1, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
H1, H2, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Upright/Erect
Cushion/Mound-forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
365.76 cm20.30 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
182.88 cm30.50 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Light Yellow, Ivory
White
Flower Color Modifier
-
-
Fruit Color
Brown
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Purple, Dark Green, Silver, Black
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
Purple, Dark Green, Silver, Black
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
Purple, Dark Green, Silver, Black
Leaf Color in Winter
Green
Green, Dark Green, Silver, Black
Shape
Leaf Shape
Egg-shaped
Heart-shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade, Full Shade
Growth Rate
Medium
Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Average
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Spring, Spring, Late Spring, Winter, Late Winter
Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Wet Site
Full Sun, Humidity
Where to Plant?
Ground, Pot
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings, Stem Cutting
Divison, From bulbs, From Rhizomes
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Low
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Requires 4 to 8 inches of water above the soil line
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
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
Average
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade, Full Shade
Pruning
Prune in early summer, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves, Trim each shoot back to the first set of leaves
Prune to stimulate growth, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves, Remove deadheads
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, Nitrogen, Phosphorous, Potassium
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Blight, Mites, Red spider mite
Plant Tolerance
Wet Site
Full Sun, Humidity
Flowers
✔
✘
✔
✘
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
Fine
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Butterflies
Spider Mites
Allergy
Toxic
Toxic
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Beautification, Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification, Food for insects
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Astringent, Diaphoretic, Diuretic, Emetic, Febrifuge, Laxative, Odontalgic, Ophthalmic, Tonic
-
Part of Plant Used
Bark, Fruits, Inner Bark, Root, Wood
-
Other Uses
Used for woodware
Air freshner, Decoration Purposes, Showy Purposes, Used as Ornamental plant
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Bog Garden, Cutflower, Dried Flower, Everlasting, Feature Plant, Mixed Border, Tropical
Bedding Plant, Container, Feature Plant, Houseplant, Mixed Border, Tropical
Botanical Name
BERZELIA lanuginosa
ALOCASIA reginula
Common Name
Buttonbush
Elephant Ear
In Hindi
Buttonbush shrub
Elephant Ear
In German
Button Strauch
Elephant Ear
In French
buttonbush arbuste
Elephant Ear
In Spanish
arbusto buttonbush
Elephant Ear
In Greek
Buttonbush θάμνος
Elephant Ear
In Portuguese
arbusto Buttonbush
Elephant Ear
In Polish
Buttonbush krzew
Elephant Ear
In Latin
Frutex Buttonbush
Elephant Ear
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Liliopsida
Order
Rubiales
Alismatales
Family
Bruniaceae
Araceae
Genus
Cephalanthus
Alocasia
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Monocots
Tribe
-
Colocasiodeae
Subfamily
-
Aroideae
Number of Species
1279
1
27800
👆🏻