Life Span
Annual
Perennial
Type
Tender Perennial
Grass
Origin
Southeastern Asia
Southwestern United States, Texas, Mexico
Types
Eddoe taro, Dasheen taro
Nassella tenuissima
Number of Varieties
20015
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
agricultural areas, Hillside, Warm and moist climatic conditions
driveways, open Woodlands, Roadsides, Rocky areas, Slopes, tree wells
USDA Hardiness Zone
10-116-10
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-8
11 - 4
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 22, 23, 24
2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Clump-Forming
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
30.00 cm50.80 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
30.00 cm55.90 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Green
-
Flower Color Modifier
-
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Red
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Dark Green, Ivory
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Dark Green, Ivory
Light Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Dark Green, Ivory
Green, Yellow green, Tan
Leaf Color in Winter
Dark Green, Ivory
Green, Yellow green, Gold, Tan
Shape
Leaf Shape
V-Shaped
Linear
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Partial shade, Full Shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Medium
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 Summer, Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Heat Tolerance, Humidity, Salt and Soil Compaction, Shallow soil
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container
Ground
How to Plant?
From Rhizomes
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Needs 2-3 times watering per week, Needs a lot of water initially
Do not water excessively
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
Pruning
-
Requires little pruning
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, Less fertilizing
Apply 12-6-6 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
-
Single
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
-
Allergy
Swelling in mouth, Throat itching
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Landscape Designing, Showy Purposes, small hedge
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
Used as Ornamental plant
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Feature Plant, Groundcover, Houseplant, Mixed Border, Tropical
Dried Flower / Everlasting, Container, Foundation, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall
Botanical Name
ALOCASIA micholitziana
NASSELLA tenuissima
Common Name
Elephant Ear, Taro
Finestem Needlegrass, Mexican Feather Grass
In Hindi
अरवी
Mexican Feather Grass
In German
Colocasia (Pflanzengattung)
Mexikanische Federgras
In French
Colocasia
Mexicaine Herbe Feather
In Spanish
Colocasia
Pluma hierba mexicana
In Greek
Colocasia
Μεξικού Αστραπή Grass
In Portuguese
Colocasia
Mexican Pena Relva
In Polish
Kolokazja
Mexican Feather trawy
In Latin
Colocasia
Mexicanus Pluma Grass
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Liliopsida
Order
Arales
Cyperales
Family
Araceae
Poaceae
Genus
Alocasia
Nassella
Clade
Angiosperms, Monocots
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Tribe
Colocasiodeae
Stipeae
Subfamily
Aroideae
-
Number of Species
10116
1
27800
👆🏻