Life Span
Annual
Annual and Perennial
Type
Tender Perennial
Bulb or Corm or Tuber
Origin
Southeastern Asia
Latin America and the Caribbean, Central America, Micronesia
Types
Eddoe taro, Dasheen taro
Hannah Yams, Japanese Sweet Potatoes
Habitat
agricultural areas, Hillside, Warm and moist climatic conditions
Cold Regions, Tropical regions
USDA Hardiness Zone
10-11
11-12
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 22, 23, 24
21,22
Habit
Clump-Forming
Vining/Climbing
Minimum Width
Not Available
Flower Color
White, Green
Not Available
Flower Color Modifier
Not Available
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Red
Not Available
Leaf Color in Spring
Dark Green, Ivory
Green, Purple, Light Green, Chartreuse, Bronze
Leaf Color in Summer
Dark Green, Ivory
Light Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Dark Green, Ivory
Several shades of Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Dark Green, Ivory
Light Green
Leaf Shape
V-Shaped
Heart-shaped
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Sunlight
Partial shade, Full Shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Very Fast
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
Late Fall, Early Winter, Winter
Tolerances
Heat Tolerance, Humidity, Salt and Soil Compaction, Shallow soil
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container
Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
From Rhizomes
Stem Cutting, Tuber propagation
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Requirements
Needs 2-3 times watering per week, Needs a lot of water initially
Average Water Needs, Needs a lot of water initially
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
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
Pruning
No pruning needed
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, Less fertilizing
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Aphids, Rats, Snails
Aphids, Beetles, Leafminers, Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Heat Tolerance, Salt and Soil Compaction, Shade areas
Drought
Flowers
Insignificant
Showy
Flower Petal Number
Not Available
Single
Foliage Texture
Bold
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Matte
Attracts
Aphids, Bugs, Not Available, Snails
Aphids, Beetles, Mites, white worms
Allergy
Swelling in mouth, Throat itching
Abdominal pain, Skin rash, Swelling, Vomiting
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Not Used For Aesthetic Purpose
Beauty Benefits
Poison Ivy, Skin cleanser, Weightloss
Not Available
Environmental Uses
No fertilizer, pesticides, or herbicides needed, Prevent weeds
Air purification
Medicinal Uses
Aging, Laxative, Weight loss
Potassium, ß-carotene, Vitamin C
Part of Plant Used
Leaf Stalks, Leaves
Leaves, Root, Shoots
Other Uses
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant
Used As Food, Used for its medicinal properties
Used As Indoor Plant
No
Yes
Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes
Yes
Garden Design
Container, Feature Plant, Groundcover, Houseplant, Mixed Border, Tropical
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Hanging Basket, Herb / Vegetable, Mixed Border, Vine
Botanical Name
ALOCASIA micholitziana
IPOMOEA batatas
Common Name
Elephant Ear, Taro
Sweet Potato, Sweet Potato Vine
In German
Colocasia (Pflanzengattung)
Süßkartoffel
In French
Colocasia
Patate douce
In Spanish
Colocasia
Batata
In Greek
Colocasia
Γλυκοπατάτα
In Portuguese
Colocasia
Batata doce
In Polish
Kolokazja
Słodki ziemniak
In Latin
Colocasia
Dulcis SOLANUM TUBEROSUM
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Family
Araceae
Convolvulaceae
Clade
Angiosperms, Monocots
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
Colocasiodeae
Not Available
Subfamily
Aroideae
Not Available
Importance of Taro and Sweet Potato
Want to have the most appropriate plant for your garden? You might want to know the importance of Taro and Sweet Potato. Basically, these two plants vary in many aspects. Compare Taro and Sweet Potato 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 Sweet Potato is Potassium, ß-carotene and Vitamin C. Taro has beauty benefits as follows: Poison Ivy, Skin cleanser and Weightloss while Sweet Potato has beauty benefits as follows: Poison Ivy, Skin cleanser and Weightloss.
Compare Facts of Taro vs Sweet Potato
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 Sweet Potato 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 Sweet Potato have Abdominal pain, Skin rash, Swelling and Vomiting respectively. Having a fruit bearing plant in your garden can be a plus point of your garden. Taro has no showy fruits and Sweet Potato has no showy fruits. Also Taro is not flowering and Sweet Potato is not flowering . You can compare Taro and Sweet Potato facts and facts of other plants too.