Life Span
Annual
Perennial
Type
Tender Perennial
Cactus or Succulent
Origin
Southeastern Asia
North America, Latin America and the Caribbean, Central America, South America
Types
Eddoe taro, Dasheen taro
Schlumbergera
Number of Varieties
20015
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
agricultural areas, Hillside, Warm and moist climatic conditions
Coastal Mountains, Humid climates
USDA Hardiness Zone
10-11-9999
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-8
12-1
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 22, 23, 24
7, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Clump-Forming
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
30.00 cm45.70 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
30.00 cm71.10 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Green
Purple
Flower Color Modifier
-
-
Fruit Color
Red
Pink
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
Green, Dark Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
V-Shaped
Toothed
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Partial shade, Full Shade
Partial Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
Fast
Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
-
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Heat Tolerance, Humidity, Salt and Soil Compaction, Shallow soil
-
Where to Plant?
Container
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
From Rhizomes
Stem Planting, Transplanting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Needs 2-3 times watering per week, Needs a lot of water initially
Average Water Needs, Do Not over Water, Never Over-water
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
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Partial shade, Full Shade
Partial Sun, Partial shade
Pruning
-
Prune if you want to improve plant shape, Requires little pruning
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
Flowers
Insignificant
Showy
Flower Petal Number
-
-
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Bold
Bold
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Aphids, Bugs, Snails
-
Allergy
Swelling in mouth, Throat itching
Eye irritation, sneezing
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Beautification, Landscape Designing, Showy Purposes
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
Leaves
Other Uses
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant
Decoration Purposes, Showy Purposes, Used as Christmas Tree, Used as Ornamental plant
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Feature Plant, Groundcover, Houseplant, Mixed Border, Tropical
Container, Houseplant, Rock Garden, Wall
Botanical Name
ALOCASIA micholitziana
SCHLUMBERGERA x buckleyi
Common Name
Elephant Ear, Taro
Thanksgiving Cactus, Crab Cactus
In Hindi
अरवी
क्रिसमस कैक्टस
In German
Colocasia (Pflanzengattung)
Weihnachtskaktus
In French
Colocasia
Cactus de Noël
In Spanish
Colocasia
Cactus de Navidad
In Greek
Colocasia
Χριστούγεννα Cactus
In Portuguese
Colocasia
Cacto de Natal
In Polish
Kolokazja
Christmas Cactus
In Latin
Colocasia
Nativitatis Cactus
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Arales
Caryophyllales
Family
Araceae
Cactaceae
Genus
Alocasia
Schlumbergera
Clade
Angiosperms, Monocots
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Tribe
Colocasiodeae
-
Subfamily
Aroideae
Cactoideae
Number of Species
106
1
27800
👆🏻