Life Span
Perennial
Annual and Perennial
Type
Tender Perennial
Shrub
Origin
Southeastern Asia
South Africa
Types
Taro Alocasia reginula, Night scented lily
Cephalanthus occidentalis
Number of Varieties
707
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Terrestrial, Wet lands
Boggy areas, Dappled Shade, Shady Edge, Sunny Edge, Woodland Garden Canopy
USDA Hardiness Zone
10-159-11
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-8
9-1
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 22, 23, 24
H1, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Cushion/Mound-forming
Upright/Erect
Plant Size
Minimum Height
20.30 cm365.76 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
30.50 cm182.88 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White
Light Yellow, Ivory
Flower Color Modifier
-
-
Fruit Color
-
Brown
Leaf Color in Spring
Purple, Dark Green, Silver, Black
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Purple, Dark Green, Silver, Black
Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Purple, Dark Green, Silver, Black
Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Green, Dark Green, Silver, Black
Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
Egg-shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade, Full Shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Medium
Type of Soil
Loam
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Average
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Early Spring, Spring, Late Spring, Winter, Late Winter
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Full Sun, Humidity
Wet Site
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Divison, From bulbs, From Rhizomes
Seedlings, Stem Cutting
Plant Maintenance
Low
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs, Do Not over Water, Never Over-water, Water Deeply
Requires 4 to 8 inches of water above the soil line
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Average Water
Moderate
In Winter
Less Watering
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Type
Loam
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Average
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade, Full Shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Prune to stimulate growth, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves, Remove deadheads
Prune in early summer, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves, Trim each shoot back to the first set of leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, Nitrogen, Phosphorous, Potassium
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Blight, Mites, Red spider mite
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Full Sun, Humidity
Wet Site
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
Medium
Fine
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Spider Mites
Butterflies
Allergy
Toxic
Toxic
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Beautification, Showy Purposes
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Food for insects
Air purification
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
Air freshner, Decoration Purposes, Showy Purposes, Used as Ornamental plant
Used for woodware
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Bedding Plant, Container, Feature Plant, Houseplant, Mixed Border, Tropical
Bog Garden, Cutflower, Dried Flower, Everlasting, Feature Plant, Mixed Border, Tropical
Botanical Name
ALOCASIA reginula
BERZELIA lanuginosa
Common Name
Elephant Ear
Buttonbush
In Hindi
Elephant Ear
Buttonbush shrub
In German
Elephant Ear
Button Strauch
In French
Elephant Ear
buttonbush arbuste
In Spanish
Elephant Ear
arbusto buttonbush
In Greek
Elephant Ear
Buttonbush θάμνος
In Portuguese
Elephant Ear
arbusto Buttonbush
In Polish
Elephant Ear
Buttonbush krzew
In Latin
Elephant Ear
Frutex Buttonbush
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Alismatales
Rubiales
Family
Araceae
Bruniaceae
Genus
Alocasia
Cephalanthus
Clade
Angiosperms, Monocots
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
Colocasiodeae
-
Subfamily
Aroideae
-
Number of Species
7912
1
27800
👆🏻