Life Span
Annual
Perennial
Type
Tender Perennial
Shrub
Origin
Southeastern Asia
Mexico, Central America
Types
Eddoe taro, Dasheen taro
Cuphea hyssopifolia
Number of Varieties
20035
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
agricultural areas, Hillside, Warm and moist climatic conditions
Tropical areas
USDA Hardiness Zone
10-119-15
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-8
12-10
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 22, 23, 24
H1, H2, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Clump-Forming
Cushion/Mound-forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
30.00 cm20.30 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
30.00 cm30.40 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Green
White, Pink, Light Pink, Lavender, Violet
Flower Color Modifier
-
-
Fruit Color
Red
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Dark Green, Ivory
Light Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Dark Green, Ivory
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Dark Green, Ivory
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Dark Green, Ivory
Dark Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
V-Shaped
Oblong to lance-shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Partial shade, Full Shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
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
Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Heat Tolerance, Humidity, Salt and Soil Compaction, Shallow soil
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container
Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
From Rhizomes
Cuttings, Divison, Layering, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Needs 2-3 times watering per week, Needs a lot of water initially
Needs watering once a week, Requires more often in extreme heat
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 if you want to improve plant shape
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, Less fertilizing
14-14-14 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
Allergy
Swelling in mouth, Throat itching
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Borders, Ground Cover
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
Dysentry, Eye Infection, Indigestion, Organ Stones
Part of Plant Used
Leaf Stalks, Leaves
Flowering Tips, Flowers, Leaves, Shoots, Stem
Other Uses
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant
Showy Purposes
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Feature Plant, Groundcover, Houseplant, Mixed Border, Tropical
Bedding Plant, Container, Edging, Foundation, Groundcover, Hanging Basket, Mixed Border
Botanical Name
ALOCASIA micholitziana
CUPHEA hyssopifolia
Common Name
Elephant Ear, Taro
False Heather, Mexican Heather, Hawaiian Heather
In Hindi
अरवी
Mexican Heather
In German
Colocasia (Pflanzengattung)
Mexican Heather
In French
Colocasia
Mexicaine Heather
In Spanish
Colocasia
Heather mexicana
In Greek
Colocasia
Μεξικού Heather
In Portuguese
Colocasia
Mexican Heather
In Polish
Kolokazja
Mexican Heather
In Latin
Colocasia
Mexicanus Heather
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Arales
Myrtales
Family
Araceae
Lythraceae
Genus
Alocasia
Cuphea
Clade
Angiosperms, Monocots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
Colocasiodeae
-
Subfamily
Aroideae
Lythroideae
Number of Species
10250
1
27800
👆🏻