Life Span
Annual
Perennial
Type
Tender Perennial
Palm or Cycad
Origin
Southeastern Asia
United States, Southeastern United States
Types
Eddoe taro, Dasheen taro
Rhapidophyllum hystrix
Number of Varieties
20015
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
agricultural areas, Hillside, Warm and moist climatic conditions
Cold Regions, Subtropical climates
USDA Hardiness Zone
10-116-10
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-8
12-6
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 22, 23, 24
H1, H2, 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
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
30.00 cm180.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
30.00 cm180.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Green
White, Light Yellow, Lavender
Flower Color Modifier
-
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Red
Dark Red, Brown, Sienna
Leaf Color in Spring
Dark Green, Ivory
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
Needle like
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Partial shade, Full Shade
Partial Sun, Partial shade, Full Shade
Growth Rate
Fast
Very Slow
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Average
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Early Summer, Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Heat Tolerance, Humidity, Salt and Soil Compaction, Shallow soil
Wet Site, Drought, Soil Compaction
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
Needs small amount of water
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
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Average
Sun Exposure
Partial shade, Full Shade
Partial Sun, Partial shade, Full Shade
Pruning
-
Prune to control growth, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, Less fertilizing
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, can go long without fertilizers
Pests and Diseases
Aphids, Rats, Snails
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Heat Tolerance, Salt and Soil Compaction, Shade areas
Cold climate, Frost
Flowers
Insignificant
Insignificant
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
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Aphids, Bugs, Snails
Rabbits, Small mammals
Allergy
Swelling in mouth, Throat itching
drowsiness, Scratches
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
bank hedging, Ornamental use
Beauty Benefits
Poison Ivy, Skin cleanser, Weightloss
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
No fertilizer, pesticides, or herbicides needed, Prevent weeds
Air purification, Ethnobotanic
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Aging, Laxative, Weight loss
Aging, Frostbite
Part of Plant Used
Leaf Stalks, Leaves
Leaves
Other Uses
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant
Application in Handicrafts, Showy Purposes
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Feature Plant, Groundcover, Houseplant, Mixed Border, Tropical
Feature Plant, Foundation, Mixed Border, Tropical
Botanical Name
ALOCASIA micholitziana
RHAPIDOPHYLLUM hystrix
Common Name
Elephant Ear, Taro
Needle Palm, Porcupine plant
In Hindi
अरवी
सुई ताड़
In German
Colocasia (Pflanzengattung)
Nadel -Palme
In French
Colocasia
palmier aiguille
In Spanish
Colocasia
palmera aguja
In Greek
Colocasia
βελόνα φοίνικα
In Portuguese
Colocasia
palmeira agulha
In Polish
Kolokazja
Igła palma
In Latin
Colocasia
acus palma
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Arales
Arecales
Family
Araceae
Arecaceae
Genus
Alocasia
Rhapidophyllum
Clade
Angiosperms, Monocots
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Tribe
Colocasiodeae
Corypheae
Subfamily
Aroideae
Coryphoideae
Number of Species
1010
1
27800
👆🏻