Life Span
Annual
Perennial
Type
Tender Perennial
Shrub
Origin
Southeastern Asia
Europe, Morocco, Western Asia
Types
Eddoe taro, Dasheen taro
-
Number of Varieties
200700
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
agricultural areas, Hillside, Warm and moist climatic conditions
Boggy areas, Dry and Young forest Heaths, Mountain Slopes, Temperate Regions
USDA Hardiness Zone
10-115-8
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-8
8-5
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 22, 23, 24
A1, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 15, 16, 17
Habit
Clump-Forming
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
30.00 cm10.20 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
30.00 cm610.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Green
White, Red, Pink
Flower Color Modifier
-
-
Fruit Color
Red
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Dark Green, Ivory
Green, Gray Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Dark Green, Ivory
Green, Gray Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Dark Green, Ivory
Green, Gray Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Dark Green, Ivory
Gray Green, Dark Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
V-Shaped
Needle like
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Partial shade, Full Shade
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Medium
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Fall
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Heat Tolerance, Humidity, Salt and Soil Compaction, Shallow soil
-
Where to Plant?
Container
Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
From Rhizomes
Divison, Seedlings, Stem Cutting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Low
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Needs 2-3 times watering per week, Needs a lot of water initially
Average Water Needs
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Partial shade, Full Shade
Full Sun
Pruning
-
Prune in early summer, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, Less fertilizing
Ammonium Nitrate
Pests and Diseases
Aphids, Rats, Snails
Armillaria mellea, Chlorosis, Crown rot, Powdery mildew, Root rot, Rust, Verticillium Wilt
Plant Tolerance
Heat Tolerance, Salt and Soil Compaction, Shade areas
Drought, Dry soil, Shade areas, Wet Site
Flowers
Insignificant
Showy
Flower Petal Number
-
Single, Double, Semi-Double
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Bold
Fine
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Aphids, Bugs, Snails
Bees, Butterflies, Moths
Allergy
Swelling in mouth, Throat itching
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Beautification, Bouquets, Cottage Garden, Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
Poison Ivy, Skin cleanser, Weightloss
Skin inflammation
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
No fertilizer, pesticides, or herbicides needed, Prevent weeds
Food for animals, Food for insects
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Aging, Laxative, Weight loss
Arthritis, Bladder Infection, Colic, Diarrhea, Gout, Inflammation, Kidney Stones, Rheumatism, Stomach pain, Urinary tract problems
Part of Plant Used
Leaf Stalks, Leaves
Flowers
Other Uses
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant
Can be made into a herbal tea, Food for animals, Used for its medicinal properties
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Feature Plant, Groundcover, Houseplant, Mixed Border, Tropical
Container, Cutflower, Edging, Foundation, Groundcover, Mixed Border, Rock Garden, Wall
Botanical Name
ALOCASIA micholitziana
CALLUNA vulgaris
Common Name
Elephant Ear, Taro
Heather, Common heather, Ling
In Hindi
अरवी
हीथ
In German
Colocasia (Pflanzengattung)
Heidekraut
In French
Colocasia
bruyère
In Spanish
Colocasia
brezo
In Greek
Colocasia
ερείκη
In Portuguese
Colocasia
urze
In Polish
Kolokazja
wrzos
In Latin
Colocasia
Heather
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Arales
Ericales
Family
Araceae
Ericaceae
Genus
Alocasia
Calluna
Clade
Angiosperms, Monocots
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
Colocasiodeae
Ericeae
Subfamily
Aroideae
Ericoideae
Number of Species
10860
1
27800
👆🏻