Life Span
Annual
Perennial
Type
Tender Perennial
Bulb or Corm or Tuber
Origin
Southeastern Asia
Southern Africa, South Africa
Types
Eddoe taro, Dasheen taro
Ornithogalum thyrsoides
Number of Varieties
20025
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
agricultural areas, Hillside, Warm and moist climatic conditions
marshes, Sandy flats, Slopes
USDA Hardiness Zone
10-117-10
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-8
10-7
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 22, 23, 24
21,22
Habit
Clump-Forming
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
30.00 cm20.30 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
30.00 cm15.20 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Green
Orange, Gold
Flower Color Modifier
-
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Red
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Dark Green, Ivory
Green, Blue Green, Yellow green
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
Succulent
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Partial shade, Full Shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
Fast
-
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Early Spring, Spring, Winter, Late Winter
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Heat Tolerance, Humidity, Salt and Soil Compaction, Shallow soil
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container
Container, Ground
How to Plant?
From Rhizomes
Bulbs, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Needs 2-3 times watering per week, Needs a lot of water initially
Keep ground moist, Reduce watering in winter, Water three times weekly in summer
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
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Partial shade, Full Shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Pruning
-
Prune to control growth, prune to control shape, Prune to stimulate growth
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, Less fertilizing
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Aphids, Rats, Snails
-
Plant Tolerance
Heat Tolerance, Salt and Soil Compaction, Shade areas
Drought
Flowers
Insignificant
Showy
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
Bold
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Aphids, Bugs, Snails
Butterflies, Insects, pollinators
Allergy
Swelling in mouth, Throat itching
Skin irritation, Skin rash, Toxic
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Beautification, Cut Flowers, Showy Purposes, Used as an interior landscaping species, Used for decorating walls, fences, gates, hedges, etc.
Beauty Benefits
Poison Ivy, Skin cleanser, Weightloss
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
No fertilizer, pesticides, or herbicides needed, Prevent weeds
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Aging, Laxative, Weight loss
-
Part of Plant Used
Leaf Stalks, Leaves
Flowers
Other Uses
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant
Beneficial species for attracting pollinators, Showy Purposes, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for Landscaping
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Feature Plant, Groundcover, Houseplant, Mixed Border, Tropical
Container, Cutflower, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall
Botanical Name
ALOCASIA micholitziana
Ornithogalum thyrsoides
Common Name
Elephant Ear, Taro
Chincherinchee, Wonder-flower, Star-of-Bethlehem
In Hindi
अरवी
Chincherinchee
In German
Colocasia (Pflanzengattung)
Kap-Milchstern
In French
Colocasia
Chincherinchee
In Spanish
Colocasia
Chincherinchee
In Greek
Colocasia
Ornithogalum thyrsoides
In Portuguese
Colocasia
Chinkerinchee
In Polish
Kolokazja
Chincherinchee,
In Latin
Colocasia
Chincherinchee
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Liliopsida
Order
Arales
Asparagales
Family
Araceae
Asparagaceae
Genus
Alocasia
Ornithogalum
Clade
Angiosperms, Monocots
Angiosperms, Monocots
Tribe
Colocasiodeae
Ornithogaleae
Subfamily
Aroideae
Scilloideae
Number of Species
10180
1
27800
👆🏻