Home
Garden Plants


Compare Taro and Canna


Canna and Taro


What is

Life Span
Annual  
Perennial  

Type
Tender Perennial  
Bulb or Corm or Tuber  

Origin
Southeastern Asia  
Latin America and the Caribbean, Central America, South America  

Types
Eddoe taro, Dasheen taro  
Canna Altensteinii, Canna Indica Purpurea  

Number of Varieties
200  
34
411  
24

Habitat
agricultural areas, Hillside, Warm and moist climatic conditions  
Subtropical climates, Tropical regions, Warmer regions  

USDA Hardiness Zone
10-11  
8-11  

AHS Heat Zone
12-8  
12-1  

Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 22, 23, 24  
21,22  

Habit
Clump-Forming  
Upright/Erect  

Information

Plant Size
  
  

Minimum Height
30.00 cm  
99+
150.00 cm  
99+

Minimum Width
30.00 cm  
99+
30.00 cm  

Plant Color
  
  

Flower Color
White, Green  
White, Yellow, Red, Orange, Pink, Rose, Salmon  

Flower Color Modifier
-  
Bicolor  

Fruit Color
Red  
Green, Tan, Brown  

Leaf Color in Spring
Dark Green, Ivory  
Yellow, Red, Green, Purple, Gray Green, Dark Green, Burgundy  

Leaf Color in Summer
Dark Green, Ivory  
Light Green  

Leaf Color in Fall
Dark Green, Ivory  
Several shades of Green  

Leaf Color in Winter
Dark Green, Ivory  
Light Green  

Shape
  
  

Leaf Shape
V-Shaped  
Elliptic  

Thorns
No  
No  

Season

Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter  
Spring, Summer, Fall  

Growing Conditions
  
  

Sunlight
Partial shade, Full Shade  
Full Sun, Partial Sun  

Growth Rate
Fast  
Fast  

Type of Soil
Loam, Sand  
Clay, Loam, Sand  

The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral  
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline  

Soil Drainage
Well drained  
Average  

Bloom Time
Indeterminate  
Indeterminate  

Repeat Bloomer
No  
Yes  

Tolerances
Heat Tolerance, Humidity, Salt and Soil Compaction, Shallow soil  
Drought  

Care

Where to Plant?
Container  
Container, Ground, Pot  

How to Plant?
From Rhizomes  
From bulbs, Seedlings  

Plant Maintenance
Medium  
Medium  

Watering Plants
  
  

Watering Requirements
Needs 2-3 times watering per week, Needs a lot of water initially  
Keep the ground moist but not water-logged, Requires regular watering  

In Summer
Lots of watering  
Lots of watering  

In Spring
Moderate  
Moderate  

In Winter
Average Water  
Average Water  

Soil
  
  

Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral  
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline  

Soil Type
Loam, Sand  
Clay, Loam, Sand  

Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained  
Average  

Sun Exposure
Partial shade, Full Shade  
Full Sun, Partial Sun  

Pruning
-  
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves  

Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, Less fertilizing  
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer  

Pests and Diseases
Aphids, Rats, Snails  
Red blotch  

Plant Tolerance
Heat Tolerance, Salt and Soil Compaction, Shade areas  
Drought  

Facts

Flowers
Insignificant  
Showy  

Flower Petal Number
-  
Single  

Fruits
  
  

Showy Fruit
No  
No  

Edible Fruit
No  
No  

Fragrance
  
  

Fragrant Flower
No  
Yes  

Fragrant Fruit
No  
No  

Fragrant Leaf
No  
No  

Fragrant Bark/Stem
No  
No  

Showy Foliage
Yes  
Yes  

Showy Bark
No  
No  

Foliage Texture
Bold  
Bold  

Foliage Sheen
Glossy  
-  

Evergreen
No  
No  

Invasive
No  
No  

Self-Sowing
No  
No  

Attracts
Aphids, Bugs, Snails  
Butterflies, Insects  

Allergy
Swelling in mouth, Throat itching  
-  

Benefits

Uses
  
  

Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes  
Beautification, Bouquets, Landscape Designing, Showy Purposes  

Beauty Benefits
Poison Ivy, Skin cleanser, Weightloss  
-  

Edible Uses
Yes  
Yes  

Environmental Uses
No fertilizer, pesticides, or herbicides needed, Prevent weeds  
Air purification  

Plant Benefits
  
  

Medicinal Uses
Aging, Laxative, Weight loss  
Diuretic  

Part of Plant Used
Leaf Stalks, Leaves  
Flowers, Leaves, Root, Seeds  

Other Uses
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant  
Decoration Purposes, Showy Purposes, Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used in paper industry  

Used As Indoor Plant
No  
Yes  

Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes  
Yes  

Garden Design
Container, Feature Plant, Groundcover, Houseplant, Mixed Border, Tropical  
Bedding Plant, Container, Feature Plant, Foundation, Mixed Border, Tropical, Water Gardens  

Scientific Name

Botanical Name
ALOCASIA micholitziana  
CANNA  

Common Name
Elephant Ear, Taro  
Canna, Canna Lily  

In Hindi
अरवी  
भंग लिली  

In German
Colocasia (Pflanzengattung)  
Canna Lilie  

In French
Colocasia  
Canna  

In Spanish
Colocasia  
Canna lirio  

In Greek
Colocasia  
Canna κρίνος  

In Portuguese
Colocasia  
Canna  

In Polish
Kolokazja  
Canna lilia  

In Latin
Colocasia  
Canna lilium  

Classification

Kingdom
Plantae  
Plantae  

Phylum
Magnoliophyta  
Embryophyta  

Class
Liliopsida  
Liliopsida  

Order
Arales  
Zingiberales  

Family
Araceae  
Cannaceae  

Genus
Alocasia  
Canna  

Clade
Angiosperms, Monocots  
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots  

Tribe
Colocasiodeae  
-  

Subfamily
Aroideae  
-  

Number of Species
10  
99+
19  
99+

What is >>
<< All

Difference Between Taro and Canna

If you are confused whether Taro or Canna are same, here are some features about those plants to help you choose better. Many people think that these two plants have the same characteristics, but one can see Taro and Canna Information and learn more about it. Fertilizers required for proper growth of Taro are All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer and Less fertilizing, whereas for Canna fertilizers required are All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer. Hence, one should know the basic difference between Taro and Canna if you are planning to have them in your garden to enhance its beauty.

<Flowering Plants

Compare Bulb Plants

Importance of Taro and Canna

Want to have the most appropriate plant for your garden? You might want to know the importance of Taro and Canna. Basically, these two plants vary in many aspects. Compare Taro and Canna 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 Canna is Diuretic. Taro has beauty benefits as follows: Poison Ivy, Skin cleanser and Weightloss while Canna has beauty benefits as follows: Poison Ivy, Skin cleanser and Weightloss.

Compare Facts of Taro vs Canna

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 Canna 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 Canna have respectively. Having a fruit bearing plant in your garden can be a plus point of your garden. Taro has no showy fruits and Canna has no showy fruits. Also Taro is not flowering and Canna is not flowering . You can compare Taro and Canna facts and facts of other plants too.

Bulb Plants

Bulb Plants

» More Bulb Plants

Compare Bulb Plants

» More Compare Bulb Plants