Life Span
Annual
Perennial
Type
Tender Perennial
Tree
Origin
Southeastern Asia
Southeastern United States
Types
Eddoe taro, Dasheen taro
Not Available
Number of Varieties
Not Available
Habitat
agricultural areas, Hillside, Warm and moist climatic conditions
Dappled Shade, Sunny Edge, Woodland Garden Canopy
USDA Hardiness Zone
10-11
5-9
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 22, 23, 24
2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 14, 15, 16, 17
Habit
Clump-Forming
Pyramidal
Flower Color
White, Green
White
Flower Color Modifier
Not Available
Bicolor
Leaf Color in Spring
Dark Green, Ivory
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Dark Green, Ivory
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Dark Green, Ivory
Red, Orange Red
Leaf Color in Winter
Dark Green, Ivory
Not Available
Leaf Shape
V-Shaped
Oblong to ablanceolate
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
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Early Summer, Summer
Tolerances
Heat Tolerance, Humidity, Salt and Soil Compaction, Shallow soil
Not Available
Where to Plant?
Container
Ground
How to Plant?
From Rhizomes
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Requirements
Needs 2-3 times watering per week, Needs a lot of water initially
Average Water Needs
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Partial shade, Full Shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
No pruning needed
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, Less fertilizing
Nitrate based fertilizers
Pests and Diseases
Aphids, Rats, Snails
Beetles
Plant Tolerance
Heat Tolerance, Salt and Soil Compaction, Shade areas
Drought
Flowers
Insignificant
Showy
Flower Petal Number
Not Available
Single
Foliage Texture
Bold
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Glossy
Attracts
Aphids, Bugs, Not Available, Snails
Birds
Allergy
Swelling in mouth, Throat itching
no allergic reactions
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Beautification
Beauty Benefits
Poison Ivy, Skin cleanser, Weightloss
Hair Conditioner, Skin Problems
Environmental Uses
No fertilizer, pesticides, or herbicides needed, Prevent weeds
Air purification
Medicinal Uses
Aging, Laxative, Weight loss
Cardiac, Diuretic, Refrigerant, Tonic
Part of Plant Used
Leaf Stalks, Leaves
Bark, Leaves
Other Uses
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant
It is a remedy for treating fevers, Used in making tea, Used in treatment of mouth ulcers
Used As Indoor Plant
No
No
Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes
Yes
Garden Design
Container, Feature Plant, Groundcover, Houseplant, Mixed Border, Tropical
Feature Plant, Mixed Border
Botanical Name
ALOCASIA micholitziana
OXYDENDRUM arboreum
Common Name
Elephant Ear, Taro
Sourwood
In German
Colocasia (Pflanzengattung)
Sourwood
In French
Colocasia
Sourwood
In Spanish
Colocasia
Sourwood
In Greek
Colocasia
Sourwood
In Portuguese
Colocasia
Sourwood
In Polish
Kolokazja
Sourwood
In Latin
Colocasia
Sourwood
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Genus
Alocasia
Oxydendrum
Clade
Angiosperms, Monocots
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
Colocasiodeae
Oxydendreae
Subfamily
Aroideae
Vaccinioideae
Importance of Taro and Sourwood
Want to have the most appropriate plant for your garden? You might want to know the importance of Taro and Sourwood. Basically, these two plants vary in many aspects. Compare Taro and Sourwood 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 Sourwood is Cardiac, Diuretic, Refrigerant and Tonic. Taro has beauty benefits as follows: Poison Ivy, Skin cleanser and Weightloss while Sourwood has beauty benefits as follows: Poison Ivy, Skin cleanser and Weightloss.
Compare Facts of Taro vs Sourwood
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 Sourwood 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 Sourwood have no allergic reactions respectively. Having a fruit bearing plant in your garden can be a plus point of your garden. Taro has no showy fruits and Sourwood has showy fruits. Also Taro is not flowering and Sourwood is not flowering . You can compare Taro and Sourwood facts and facts of other plants too.