Elephant's Ear

Other Names: Taro

Description:

Amazing super large leaves grow from the center of this giant taro and can reach 12 feet in tropical climes; elegant as a large accent or screening; can tolerate some cold and grows well in containers

Ornamental Features:

Elephant's Ear features solitary conical creamy white hooded flowers with white centers rising above the foliage in mid summer. It's attractive large glossy heart-shaped leaves remain dark green in colour throughout the year. The fruit is not ornamentally significant.

Landscape Attributes:

Elephant's Ear is an open herbaceous evergreen annual bedding plant with an upright spreading habit of growth. Its medium texture blends into the garden, but can always be balanced by a couple of finer or coarser plants for an effective composition.

This is a relatively low maintenance annual bedding plant, and usually looks its best without pruning, although it will tolerate pruning. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Elephant's Ear is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• General Garden Use
• Mass Planting
• Container Planting

Plant Characteristics:

Elephant's Ear will grow to be about 12 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 10 feet. Although it's not a true annual, this plant can be expected to behave as an annual in our climate if left outdoors over the winter, usually needing replacement the following year.

This annual bedding plant does best in full sun to partial shade. It is quite adaptable, prefering to grow in average to wet conditions, and will even tolerate some standing water. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution.

This species is not originally from North America, and parts of it are known to be toxic to humans and animals, so care should be exercised in planting it around children and pets.