Life Span
Annual
Perennial
Type
Tender Perennial
Tree
Origin
Southeastern Asia
Mid-Atlantic United States, Southeastern United States, Central United States, South-Central United States
Types
Eddoe taro, Dasheen taro
not available
Number of Varieties
Not Available
Habitat
agricultural areas, Hillside, Warm and moist climatic conditions
bottomlands, Depression on prairies, ditches, Floodplains, Riverbanks, stream banks, Swamps
USDA Hardiness Zone
10-11
4-9
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 22, 23, 24
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
Oval or Rounded
Flower Color
White, Green
Yellow, Brown
Flower Color Modifier
Not Available
Bicolor
Leaf Color in Spring
Dark Green, Ivory
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Dark Green, Ivory
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Dark Green, Ivory
Yellow, Light Yellow, Tan
Leaf Color in Winter
Dark Green, Ivory
Not Available
Leaf Shape
V-Shaped
Oval with a pointed tip and fine teeth along their edges
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Sunlight
Partial shade, Full Shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Average
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Spring
Tolerances
Heat Tolerance, Humidity, Salt and Soil Compaction, Shallow soil
Wet Site, Pollution, Soil Compaction
Where to Plant?
Container
Ground
How to Plant?
From Rhizomes
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Low
Watering Requirements
Needs 2-3 times watering per week, Needs a lot of water initially
Requires a lot of watering, Requires regular watering
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
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
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
No pruning needed
Prune in the late winter or spring, Remove dead or diseased plant parts, Shape and thin as needed
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, Less fertilizing
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, No need to fertilize every year
Pests and Diseases
Aphids, Rats, Snails
Aphids, Red blotch, Sawfly Larvae
Plant Tolerance
Heat Tolerance, Salt and Soil Compaction, Shade areas
Pollution, Soil Compaction, Wet Site
Flowers
Insignificant
Showy
Flower Petal Number
Not Available
Not Available
Foliage Texture
Bold
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Matte
Attracts
Aphids, Bugs, Not Available, Snails
Not Available
Allergy
Swelling in mouth, Throat itching
Asthma
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
Poison Ivy, Skin cleanser, Weightloss
Not Available
Environmental Uses
No fertilizer, pesticides, or herbicides needed, Prevent weeds
Erosion control, Wildlife
Medicinal Uses
Aging, Laxative, Weight loss
No Medicinal Use
Part of Plant Used
Leaf Stalks, Leaves
Whole plant
Other Uses
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant
used for making roof trusses, poles, joists, piles, Used in construction, Used in Furniture
Used As Indoor Plant
No
No
Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes
Yes
Garden Design
Container, Feature Plant, Groundcover, Houseplant, Mixed Border, Tropical
Feature Plant, Shade Trees
Botanical Name
ALOCASIA micholitziana
BETULA nigra
Common Name
Elephant Ear, Taro
River Birch
In Hindi
अरवी
River Birch
In German
Colocasia (Pflanzengattung)
Fluss Birch
In French
Colocasia
Birch river
In Spanish
Colocasia
river Birch
In Greek
Colocasia
ποταμός Birch
In Portuguese
Colocasia
river Birch
In Polish
Kolokazja
Rzeka Birch
In Latin
Colocasia
Betula
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Family
Araceae
Betulaceae
Clade
Angiosperms, Monocots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
Colocasiodeae
Not Available
Subfamily
Aroideae
Not Available
Number of Species
Not Available
Importance of Taro and River Birch
Want to have the most appropriate plant for your garden? You might want to know the importance of Taro and River Birch. Basically, these two plants vary in many aspects. Compare Taro and River Birch as they differ in many characteristics such as their life, care, benefits, facts, etc. Every gardener must at least have the slightest clue about the plants he wants to plant in his garden. Compare their benefits, which differ in many ways like facts and uses. The medicinal use of Taro is Aging, Laxative and Weight loss whereas of River Birch is No Medicinal Use. Taro has beauty benefits as follows: Poison Ivy, Skin cleanser and Weightloss while River Birch has beauty benefits as follows: Poison Ivy, Skin cleanser and Weightloss.
Compare Facts of Taro vs River Birch
How to choose the best garden plant for your garden depending upon its facts? Here garden plant comparison will help you to solve this query. Compare the facts of Taro vs River Birch and know which one to choose. As garden plants have benefits and other uses, allergy is also a major drawback of plants for some people. Allergic reactions of Taro are Swelling in mouth and Throat itching whereas of River Birch have Asthma respectively. Having a fruit bearing plant in your garden can be a plus point of your garden. Taro has no showy fruits and River Birch has no showy fruits. Also Taro is not flowering and River Birch is not flowering . You can compare Taro and River Birch facts and facts of other plants too.