Life Span
Annual
Perennial
Type
Tender Perennial
Needled or Scaled Evergreen
Origin
Southeastern Asia
Japan
Types
Eddoe taro, Dasheen taro
Papyrus, Cyperus alternifolius
Number of Varieties
20015
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
agricultural areas, Hillside, Warm and moist climatic conditions
ditches, Marshy ground
USDA Hardiness Zone
10-115-8
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-8
8-4
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 22, 23, 24
4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Clump-Forming
Pyramidal
Plant Size
Minimum Height
30.00 cm610.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
30.00 cm460.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Green
Yellow
Flower Color Modifier
-
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Red
Red orange
Leaf Color in Spring
Dark Green, Ivory
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, Bronze
Shape
Leaf Shape
V-Shaped
Umbrella 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
Slow
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Heat Tolerance, Humidity, Salt and Soil Compaction, Shallow soil
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container
Container, Pot
How to Plant?
From Rhizomes
Rooted stem cutting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Needs 2-3 times watering per week, Needs a lot of water initially
Plant grows in 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
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Partial shade, Full Shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
-
Cut out old leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, Less fertilizing
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Aphids, Rats, Snails
Fungal Diseases
Plant Tolerance
Heat Tolerance, Salt and Soil Compaction, Shade areas
Drought
Flowers
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
Fine
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
-
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Aphids, Bugs, Snails
Hummingbirds
Allergy
Swelling in mouth, Throat itching
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
-
Beauty Benefits
Poison Ivy, Skin cleanser, Weightloss
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
No fertilizer, pesticides, or herbicides needed, Prevent weeds
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Aging, Laxative, Weight loss
Tonic
Part of Plant Used
Leaf Stalks, Leaves
Root
Other Uses
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant
Basketary, Used in paper industry, Weaving into Mats and Bags
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Feature Plant, Groundcover, Houseplant, Mixed Border, Tropical
Feature Plant, Foundation, Mixed Border, Topiary, Bonsai, Espalier
Botanical Name
ALOCASIA micholitziana
Cyperus alternifolius
Common Name
Elephant Ear, Taro
Galingale,Umbrella Palm
In Hindi
अरवी
mbrella Palm
In German
Colocasia (Pflanzengattung)
Cyperus alternifolius
In French
Colocasia
Cyperus alternifolius
In Spanish
Colocasia
Cyperus alternifolius
In Greek
Colocasia
Umbrella Palm
In Portuguese
Colocasia
Umbrella Palm
In Polish
Kolokazja
Cibora zmienna
In Latin
Colocasia
Umbrella Palm
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Liliopsida
Order
Arales
Cyperales
Family
Araceae
Sciadopityaceae
Genus
Alocasia
Cyperus
Clade
Angiosperms, Monocots
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Tribe
Colocasiodeae
-
Subfamily
Aroideae
-
Number of Species
109
1
27800
👆🏻