Life Span
Annual
Perennial
Type
Tender Perennial
Grass
Origin
Southeastern Asia
North America, Canada, Mexico
Types
Eddoe taro, Dasheen taro
Panicum abscissum, Panicum acostia, Panicum amarum
Number of Varieties
20038
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
agricultural areas, Hillside, Warm and moist climatic conditions
Prairies
USDA Hardiness Zone
10-114-9
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-8
9 - 1
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 22, 23, 24
1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23
Habit
Clump-Forming
Upright/Erect
Plant Size
Minimum Height
30.00 cm150.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
30.00 cm90.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Green
Green
Flower Color Modifier
-
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Red
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Dark Green, Ivory
Green, Light Green, Blue Green, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Dark Green, Ivory
Light Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Dark Green, Ivory
Red, Green, Orange, Blue Green, Gray Green, Bronze
Leaf Color in Winter
Dark Green, Ivory
Tan, Sandy Brown
Shape
Leaf Shape
V-Shaped
Grass like
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Partial shade, Full Shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Average
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Heat Tolerance, Humidity, Salt and Soil Compaction, Shallow soil
Pollution, Soil Compaction
Where to Plant?
Container
Ground
How to Plant?
From Rhizomes
Divison, Root Division
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Needs 2-3 times watering per week, Needs a lot of water initially
Average Water Needs, Do Not over Water, Requires regular watering
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, Alkaline
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Average
Sun Exposure
Partial shade, Full Shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
-
Prune in spring, Remove dead or diseased plant parts, Remove deadheads
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, Less fertilizing
Nitrogen
Pests and Diseases
Aphids, Rats, Snails
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Heat Tolerance, Salt and Soil Compaction, Shade areas
Pollution, Soil Compaction
Flowers
✔
✘
✔
✘
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
Fine
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Aphids, Bugs, Snails
Birds, Wildlife
Allergy
Swelling in mouth, Throat itching
-
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
Air purification, Provides ground cover, soil erosion prevension on hill slopes
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Aging, Laxative, Weight loss
-
Part of Plant Used
Leaf Stalks, Leaves
Leaves
Other Uses
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant
Cattle Fodder, Used as Biofuel
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Feature Plant, Groundcover, Houseplant, Mixed Border, Tropical
Container, Feature Plant, Foundation, Mixed Border
Botanical Name
ALOCASIA micholitziana
PANICUM virgatum
Common Name
Elephant Ear, Taro
Switchgrass
In Hindi
अरवी
Switchgrass
In German
Colocasia (Pflanzengattung)
Switchgrass
In French
Colocasia
switchgrass
In Spanish
Colocasia
switchgrass
In Greek
Colocasia
switchgrass
In Portuguese
Colocasia
switchgrass
In Polish
Kolokazja
switchgrass
In Latin
Colocasia
switchgrass
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Liliopsida
Order
Arales
Cyperales
Family
Araceae
Poaceae
Genus
Alocasia
Panicum
Clade
Angiosperms, Monocots
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Tribe
Colocasiodeae
Paniceae
Subfamily
Aroideae
Panicoideae
Number of Species
10450
1
27800
👆🏻