Life Span
Annual
Annual
Type
Tender Perennial
Vegetable
Origin
Southeastern Asia
Central America, Mexico
Types
Eddoe taro, Dasheen taro
Slicing, Pickling and burpless
Number of Varieties
2003
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
agricultural areas, Hillside, Warm and moist climatic conditions
Floodplains, Wet forest
USDA Hardiness Zone
10-117-8
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-8
12-1
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 22, 23, 24
A3, H1, H2, 1a, 1b, 2a, 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
Vining/Climbing
Plant Size
Minimum Height
30.00 cm15.20 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
30.00 cm180.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Green
Yellow, Gold
Flower Color Modifier
-
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Red
Green
Leaf Color in Spring
Dark Green, Ivory
Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Dark Green, Ivory
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Dark Green, Ivory
Green, Dark Green, Yellow green
Leaf Color in Winter
Dark Green, Ivory
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
V-Shaped
Heart-shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Partial shade, Full Shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Very Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Heat Tolerance, Humidity, Salt and Soil Compaction, Shallow soil
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container
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
Keep ground moist, Requires a lot of watering, Requires regular watering, Requires watering in the growing season
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral
Neutral
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Partial shade, Full Shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
-
Prune after flowering, Remove shoots
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, Less fertilizing
Compost, organic fertlizers
Pests and Diseases
Aphids, Rats, Snails
Bacteria wilt, Fungal Diseases, fungus, Fusarium wilt, Leaf spot, Striped cucumber beetles
Plant Tolerance
Heat Tolerance, Salt and Soil Compaction, Shade areas
Cold climate
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
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Aphids, Bugs, Snails
Ants, Birds, Flying insects, Insects, Rats, Squirrels
Allergy
Swelling in mouth, Throat itching
Throat itching, Vomiting
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
Food for animals, Food for birds
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Aging, Laxative, Weight loss
Antioxidants, Combats Stress, Fiber, Improve heart health, Indigestion, Inflammation, Rich in Iron
Part of Plant Used
Leaf Stalks, Leaves
Fruits, Seeds
Other Uses
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Feature Plant, Groundcover, Houseplant, Mixed Border, Tropical
Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Vine
Botanical Name
ALOCASIA micholitziana
MELOTHRIA scabra
Common Name
Elephant Ear, Taro
Mexican Sour Gherkins, cucamelon
In Hindi
अरवी
Mousemelon
In German
Colocasia (Pflanzengattung)
Maus Melone
In French
Colocasia
Mousemelon
In Spanish
Colocasia
Mousemelon
In Greek
Colocasia
πεπόνι ποντίκι
In Portuguese
Colocasia
melão rato
In Polish
Kolokazja
mysz melona
In Latin
Colocasia
mouse melon
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Tracheophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Arales
Cucurbitales
Family
Araceae
Cucurbitaceae
Genus
Alocasia
Cucumis
Clade
Angiosperms, Monocots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
Colocasiodeae
Melothrieae
Subfamily
Aroideae
Cucurbitoideae
Number of Species
1050
1
27800
👆🏻