Elephant Ears (additionally know as Colocasias, Alocasias, or Xanthosoma) are heat climate crops with massive outsized heart-shaped leaves that resemble the ears of an elephant. Whereas the kinds of crops are native to completely different components of the world (South America, Central America, Asia, Africa, and Australia), they’re recognized to be easy-to-grow crops that thrive in hotter climates. However they can be utilized as annuals, that are dug as much as winter indoors till it’s heat once more in cooler areas.
Elephant Ears are additionally recognized for his or her fast-growing foliage and the means to achieve a mature measurement in only one rising season, making them choose for fast summer season greenery or as a focus in a flower mattress. Relatively than conventional bulbs, Elephant Ears develop from corms (additionally known as “tubers”), that are a swollen underground stem that resembles a bulb and so they develop over time as they’re planted again and again.
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Ceaselessly Requested Questions
Are Elephant Ears poisonous to pets or people?
Sure, Elephant Ears are poisonous to each pets and people, so care ought to be taken to put them out of attain of children or pets which may be tempted to nibble on them. It’s additionally a good suggestion to put on lengthy sleeves and gloves when pruning the crops because it incorporates a compound that may irritate pores and skin with direct contact.
Can Elephant Ear crops keep exterior within the winter?
You’ll need to examine the chilly hardiness zones for the number of plant that you simply purchase as it may range from one plant to the subsequent. Some winter exterior in areas as chilly as zone 6 whereas others can solely tolerate a zone 9 winter.
How typically ought to I water Elephant Ears?
Elephant Ears are excessive water crops and the extra water you give them, the extra they’ll develop! Whereas the bulk want to have moist (not soggy) soil, some varieties may even be put right into a pot that’s submerged in water and grown as a marsh or pond plant. Throughout summer season, potted crops will must be watered every day (and even a number of occasions a day) to keep away from the soil drying out.
How a lot daylight do Elephant Ears want?
Most varieties need full solar to partial shade, however there are some like Black Magic that want a good shadier scenario. If the local weather is extraordinarily scorching, an space that gives some afternoon shade is preferable. Crops with darker leaves want extra gentle to maintain their coloration, however the sunnier the spot, the extra you’ll need to water the plant to maintain up with its moisture necessities.
If you’re conserving your plant indoors as a houseplant, you’ll need to discover a sunny window the place it would obtain plenty of vivid, oblique gentle. Keep away from direct daylight on a houseplant as that may trigger leaf burn.
Ought to I fertilize my Elephant Ears?
Like plenty of different massive tropical crops, Elephant Ears do nicely with heavy feeding, so that you may give them normal function fertilizer a minimum of as soon as a month.
Temperature and Humidity for Elephant Ears
As they’re largely tropical crops, Elephant Ears want daytime temperatures round 70°F and don’t prefer to go beneath 60°F at night time. Most crops can’t deal with a winter beneath USDA zones 8 or 9, except varieties just like the Colocasia esculenta Pink China that may survive cooler climates like zone 6.
These crops thrive in excessive humidity, so they’ll battle outdoor in a hot-yet-dry local weather. You should utilize a humidifier close to an Elephant Ear houseplant or mist the plant typically.
Planting Elephant Ears
Verify the number of Elephant Ear you will have for spacing earlier than planting as they will develop between 2-6′ extensive. You’ll need to wait to plant till nighttime temperatures are persistently between 50-60°F. Plant corms 4-6″ deep (bigger corms are planted on the deeper aspect) in nicely draining soil.
If rising in a container, plant the Elephant Ear in nicely draining soil in a big container with drainage holes. Use a mix of potting combine (add vermiculite or perlite to assist the soil correctly drain if not already included in your combine) and a heavy dose of natural matter for vitamins (issues like plant roots, leaves, mulch and animal manures).
Repotting Elephant Ears
You possibly can repot a potted Elephant Ear that’s outgrown its container by dividing the plant, separating any new corms from the primary bulb, and repotting the divided plant and new corms in recent soil.
Pruning Elephant Ears
Through the summer season rising season, you’ll be able to lower off any brown leaves on indoor or outside crops on the base of the plant to make means for brand new development.
If you’re leaving your Elephant Ears exterior all 12 months lengthy, you’ll need to lower them again to organize them for winter. After the primary frost, you need to lower the plant stalks all the way down to about 2-3″ off the bottom and the plant will regrow throughout the subsequent heat season.
TIP: It’s a good suggestion to put on lengthy sleeves and gloves when pruning an Elephant Ear because it incorporates a compound that may irritate pores and skin with direct contact.
Overwintering
Earlier than the primary frost, in zones 3-7, crops must be dug up and introduced inside. You possibly can both prune again the stems and dig the corm as much as retailer in a cool, dry place over the winter (like a basement or storage so long as it’s not freezing in there). Lay the freshly dug corm out to air dry for every week to stop root rot, then wrap in paper and retailer in a cardboard field.
To create a houseplant over the winter, you’ll be able to go away a few leaves intact and plant the Elephant Ear in a container till the climate warms up once more. In case you selected the houseplant route, you’ll need to “harden” the crops within the spring by transferring them to a lined porch for a couple of days to acclimate to the outside earlier than planting within the floor.
Propagating and Dividing Elephant Ears
While you dig up your corm on the finish of a season, you’ll see that there are smaller corms beginning to offshoot from the primary bulb. Sporting gloves to guard from the sap, merely break off the smaller corms (or lower off with a sterile knife), enable the lower areas to dry and heal, after which wrap them in paper to retailer together with your predominant corms over the winter. Plant the small corms within the spring to supply extra crops.
Varieties of Elephant Ears
The selection of Elephant Ear varieties is quite a few, however the most well-liked ones come from the Alocasia, Colocasia, and Xanthosoma genus:
Alocasia
- Polly: A smaller cultivar, this plant showcases ruffled leaves with white veins.
- Zebrina: A standout species with zebra-striped stems.
Colocasia
- Espresso Cups: This hybrid plant boasts a singular leaf form because the foliage folds upwards to kind a cup form.
- Black Magic: This selection has purple-black leaves and is likely one of the hottest black leaf cultivars.
- Thailand Big: One of many largest varieties, these leaves can develop as much as 4′ extensive by 5′ lengthy.
- Illustris: Extraordinarily darkish inexperienced matte leaves are the hallmark of this plant. Brilliant inexperienced veins accent the leaves, and, reasonably than corms, the crops unfold by underground runners.
Xanthosoma
- Lime Zinger: These massive chartreuse to lime-green leaves have arrow-shaped leaves. It grows 2 to 4′ tall and as much as 3′ extensive.
- X. lindenii: This selection showcases a phenomenal silvery and white leaf.
Diagnosing frequent issues
- Pests: Aphids, mealybugs, and spider mites are the primary pests for Elephant Ears. If an an infection happens, apply a horticultural cleaning soap to the leaves to deal with the pests.
- Fungal leaf blight: A extra frequent concern for Elephant Ears, if you happen to see lesions that ooze a purple or yellow fluid, you’ll need to take away the affected stalks and leaves earlier than it spreads to the remainder of the plant.
- Yellow leaves: This generally is a signal that the plant is getting both an excessive amount of or too little daylight, that you’re overwatering or under-watering, or that you’re over fertilizing or below fertilizing. Tweak your water and feeding first to see if that helps after which contemplate altering its location if the yellowing continues. Yellow leaves may seem when the plant is solely beginning to go dormant for the season.
- Drooping leaves: Leaves can droop in the event that they turn out to be too heavy (you should use a stake if wanted) or as a result of you want to modify their water, meals, or gentle stage. Temperature may trigger the leaves to droop if it turns into too chilly.
- Wilted leaves: Usually, wilting leaves are resulting from too little gentle or water. Strive watering extra typically and transfer to a much less sunnier spot if that doesn’t do the trick.
- Stunted leaves: Leaves that keep smaller or develop in deformed normally point out that you simply want extra meals, gentle, or water.
Ceaselessly Requested Questions
Is Elephant Ear the identical as Taro?
Colocasia esculenta is the species of Elephant Ear that Taro comes from. The corms of the plant are harvested and used equally to potatoes for meals after being peeled and cooked.