Life Span
Annual
Perennial
Type
Tender Perennial
Flowering Plants
Origin
Southeastern Asia
Southwestern United States, California
Types
Eddoe taro, Dasheen taro
-
Number of Varieties
20040
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
agricultural areas, Hillside, Warm and moist climatic conditions
Dry areas, meadows
USDA Hardiness Zone
10-114-9
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-8
9-1
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 22, 23, 24
1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 18, 19, 20, 21
Habit
Clump-Forming
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
30.00 cm61.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
30.00 cm25.40 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Green
Crimson
Flower Color Modifier
-
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Red
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Dark Green, Ivory
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Dark Green, Ivory
Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Dark Green, Ivory
Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Dark Green, Ivory
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
V-Shaped
Oblong
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Summer
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Partial shade, Full Shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Heat Tolerance, Humidity, Salt and Soil Compaction, Shallow soil
-
Where to Plant?
Container
Ground
How to Plant?
From Rhizomes
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Needs 2-3 times watering per week, Needs a lot of water initially
Do Not over Water, Requires watering in the growing season, Water Deeply, Water when soil is dry
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral
Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Partial shade, Full Shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
-
No pruning needed in the early stages, Prune to stimulate growth, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves, Remove deadheads
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, Less fertilizing
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, Apply 10-10-10 amount
Pests and Diseases
Aphids, Rats, Snails
Insects
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
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Aphids, Bugs, Snails
Hummingbirds
Allergy
Swelling in mouth, Throat itching
Asthma
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
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
Burns, Snakebite, Stomach aliments
Part of Plant Used
Leaf Stalks, Leaves
Whole plant
Other Uses
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant
Used as Ornamental plant
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Feature Plant, Groundcover, Houseplant, Mixed Border, Tropical
Container, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall, Wildflower
Botanical Name
ALOCASIA micholitziana
PENSTEMON eatonii
Common Name
Elephant Ear, Taro
Firecracker Penstemon
In Hindi
अरवी
Firecracker penstemon
In German
Colocasia (Pflanzengattung)
Kracher penstemon
In French
Colocasia
Firecracker penstemon
In Spanish
Colocasia
Penstemon del petardo
In Greek
Colocasia
πυροτέχνημα penstemon
In Portuguese
Colocasia
Penstemon do foguete
In Polish
Kolokazja
petarda penstemon
In Latin
Colocasia
Firecracker Persicaria
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
-
Class
Liliopsida
-
Order
Arales
Lamiales
Family
Araceae
Scrophulariaceae
Genus
Alocasia
Penstemon
Clade
Angiosperms, Monocots
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
Colocasiodeae
-
Subfamily
Aroideae
-
Number of Species
10250
1
27800
👆🏻