Plant Profile

Colocasia esculenta (Elephant Ear, Taro)

Taro is a large herbaceous, evergreen perennial, that has large green leaves, that are heart-shaped.

Usually this plant is grown for its starchy edible bulb-like root.

Usualy grows in shde or partial sun, and can tolerate wet sites.

By Wouter Hagens (Own work) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
By Vinayaraj (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
Forest & Kim Starr [CC BY 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
By Captain-tucker (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
By കാക്കര (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
By C T Johansson (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

By Wouter Hagens (Own work) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

French Name: Colocase comestible, Songe

Arabic Name: قلقاس

Pronunciation: kol-oh-KAY-see-uh es-kew-LEN-tuh
Plant type: Groundcover
Origin: Eastern Asia, India
Heat Zones: 10 to 16

Hardiness Zones: 10 to 13
Uses: Specimen, Border Plant, Indoor, Container, Water/Rain Garden
Size/Shape

Growth Rate: Fast

Tree Shape: Spreading

Canopy Texture: Coarse

Height at Maturity: 1 to 1.5 m

Spread at Maturity: 0.5 to 1 meter, 1 to 1.5 meters

By Wouter Hagens (Own work) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
By Vinayaraj (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
Forest & Kim Starr [CC BY 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
By Captain-tucker (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
By കാക്കര (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
By C T Johansson (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

By Wouter Hagens (Own work) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

By Wouter Hagens (Own work) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
By Vinayaraj (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
Forest & Kim Starr [CC BY 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
By Captain-tucker (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
By കാക്കര (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
By C T Johansson (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

By Wouter Hagens (Own work) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons