Type
Tender Perennial
Vegetable
Origin
Southeastern Asia
North America, Mexico, Central America
Types
Eddoe taro, Dasheen taro
-
Habitat
agricultural areas, Hillside, Warm and moist climatic conditions
Loamy soils, Moist Soils, Subtropical climates
USDA Hardiness Zone
10-11
5-7
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 22, 23, 24
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
Habit
Clump-Forming
Vining/Climbing
Flower Color
White, Green
Yellow, Orange, Dark Green
Flower Color Modifier
-
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Red
Yellow, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Spring
Dark Green, Ivory
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Dark Green, Ivory
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Dark Green, Ivory
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Dark Green, Ivory
-
Leaf Shape
V-Shaped
Palmate
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Summer, Fall
Sunlight
Partial shade, Full Shade
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Very Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Indeterminate
Tolerances
Heat Tolerance, Humidity, Salt and Soil Compaction, Shallow soil
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container
Ground
How to Plant?
From Rhizomes
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Requirements
Needs 2-3 times watering per week, Needs a lot of water initially
Keep ground moist, Requires regular watering
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral
Neutral
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Partial shade, Full Shade
Full Sun
Pruning
-
Cut out old flower stalks, Prune after flowering, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, Less fertilizing
Apply 10-10-10 amount, Apply 12-12-12 amounts, Nitrogen, Phosphate, Potassium
Pests and Diseases
Aphids, Rats, Snails
Aphids, Army-worms, Bacteria wilt, Bacterial leaf spot, Blight, Cucumber beetles, Cutworms, Fusarium leaf spot, Red spider mite
Plant Tolerance
Heat Tolerance, Salt and Soil Compaction, Shade areas
Drought, Full Sun, Salt and Soil Compaction
Flowers
Insignificant
Showy
Flower Petal Number
-
Single
Foliage Texture
Bold
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Matte
Attracts
Aphids, Bugs, Snails
Bees, Flies, Flying insects
Allergy
Swelling in mouth, Throat itching
Hypoglycaemic Coma, Irregular Heart Rhythm, Miscarriage
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
-
Beauty Benefits
Poison Ivy, Skin cleanser, Weightloss
Acne, For treating wrinkles, Improve hair condition, Nourishes scalp, Removes dandruff
Environmental Uses
No fertilizer, pesticides, or herbicides needed, Prevent weeds
Food for animals, Insect Repellent
Medicinal Uses
Aging, Laxative, Weight loss
Anti-fungal, Detoxification, Diabetes, Gastrointestinal disorders, Weight loss
Part of Plant Used
Leaf Stalks, Leaves
Fruits
Other Uses
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant
Cosmetics, Repellent, Use in Chinese herbology
Used As Indoor Plant
No
No
Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes
Yes
Garden Design
Container, Feature Plant, Groundcover, Houseplant, Mixed Border, Tropical
Dried Flower/Everlasting, Vine
Botanical Name
ALOCASIA micholitziana
CUCURBITA pepo 'Bicolor Pear'
Common Name
Elephant Ear, Taro
Bicolor Pear Gourd, Ornamental Gourd
In German
Colocasia (Pflanzengattung)
Bittermelone
In French
Colocasia
Momordica charantia
In Spanish
Colocasia
Momordica charantia
In Portuguese
Colocasia
Momordica
In Polish
Kolokazja
Przepękla ogórkowata
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Spermatophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Family
Araceae
Cucurbitaceae
Clade
Angiosperms, Monocots
-
Subfamily
Aroideae
Cucurbitoideae
Importance of Taro and Bitter Gourd
Want to have the most appropriate plant for your garden? You might want to know the importance of Taro and Bitter Gourd. Basically, these two plants vary in many aspects. Compare Taro and Bitter Gourd as they differ in many characteristics such as their life, care, benefits, facts, etc. Every gardener must at least have the slightest clue about the plants he wants to plant in his garden. Compare their benefits, which differ in many ways like facts and uses. The medicinal use of Taro is Aging, Laxative and Weight loss whereas of Bitter Gourd is Anti-fungal, Detoxification, Diabetes, Gastrointestinal disorders and Weight loss. Taro has beauty benefits as follows: Poison Ivy, Skin cleanser and Weightloss while Bitter Gourd has beauty benefits as follows: Poison Ivy, Skin cleanser and Weightloss.
Compare Facts of Taro vs Bitter Gourd
How to choose the best garden plant for your garden depending upon its facts? Here garden plant comparison will help you to solve this query. Compare the facts of Taro vs Bitter Gourd and know which one to choose. As garden plants have benefits and other uses, allergy is also a major drawback of plants for some people. Allergic reactions of Taro are Swelling in mouth and Throat itching whereas of Bitter Gourd have Hypoglycaemic Coma, Irregular Heart Rhythm and Miscarriage respectively. Having a fruit bearing plant in your garden can be a plus point of your garden. Taro has no showy fruits and Bitter Gourd has showy fruits. Also Taro is not flowering and Bitter Gourd is not flowering . You can compare Taro and Bitter Gourd facts and facts of other plants too.