Life Span
Perennial
Annual
Type
Grass
Tender Perennial
Origin
Middle Africa
Southeastern Asia
Types
Perennial Grass
Eddoe taro, Dasheen taro
Number of Varieties
15200
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Floodplains, Forest margins, Tropical regions, waterways, Wet lands, Woodlands
agricultural areas, Hillside, Warm and moist climatic conditions
USDA Hardiness Zone
7-1110-11
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
Clump-Forming
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
120.00 cm30.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
120.00 cm30.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Sandy Brown
White, Green
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
-
Fruit Color
-
Red
Leaf Color in Spring
Purple
Dark Green, Ivory
Leaf Color in Summer
Light Green
Dark Green, Ivory
Leaf Color in Fall
Purple
Dark Green, Ivory
Leaf Color in Winter
Purple
Dark Green, Ivory
Shape
Leaf Shape
Long Linear
V-Shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun
Partial shade, Full Shade
Growth Rate
Very Fast
Fast
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Summer, Late Summer
Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Cold climate, Drought, Salt
Heat Tolerance, Humidity, Salt and Soil Compaction, Shallow soil
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container
How to Plant?
Budding, Seedlings
From Rhizomes
Plant Maintenance
Low
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Requires regular watering, Water more in summer
Needs 2-3 times watering per week, Needs a lot of water initially
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Type
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Partial shade, Full Shade
Pruning
Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
-
Fertilizers
Nitrogen, organic fertlizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, Less fertilizing
Pests and Diseases
Insects, Red blotch
Aphids, Rats, Snails
Plant Tolerance
Cold climate, Drought, Salt
Heat Tolerance, Salt and Soil Compaction, Shade areas
Flowers
Showy
Insignificant
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
Bold
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Birds, Flying insects
Aphids, Bugs, Snails
Allergy
Asthma, breathing problems
Swelling in mouth, Throat itching
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
Poison Ivy, Skin cleanser, Weightloss
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Amazing growth rate, Food for animals, Food for insects, Prevent Soil Erosion, Shelter for wildlife, Wildlife, Windbreak
No fertilizer, pesticides, or herbicides needed, Prevent weeds
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Eye Problems, Headache, Skin Disorders, Wounds
Aging, Laxative, Weight loss
Part of Plant Used
Leaves, Seeds
Leaf Stalks, Leaves
Other Uses
Food for animals, Used As Food
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Bedding Plant, Feature Plant, Foundation, Mixed Border
Container, Feature Plant, Groundcover, Houseplant, Mixed Border, Tropical
Botanical Name
PENNISETUM purpureum 'Prince'
ALOCASIA micholitziana
Common Name
Elephant Grass
Elephant Ear, Taro
In Hindi
हाथी घास
अरवी
In German
Elefantengras
Colocasia (Pflanzengattung)
In French
l'herbe à éléphant
Colocasia
In Spanish
pasto elefante
Colocasia
In Greek
ελέφαντα χόρτο
Colocasia
In Portuguese
capim-elefante
Colocasia
In Polish
trawa słoniowa
Kolokazja
In Latin
elephanti herba
Colocasia
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Liliopsida
Order
Poales
Arales
Family
Poaceae
Araceae
Genus
Pennisetum
Alocasia
Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Angiosperms, Monocots
Tribe
Paniceae
Colocasiodeae
Subfamily
Panicoideae
Aroideae
Number of Species
110
1
27800
👆🏻