Colocasia esculenta

Taro, Elephant’s Ear
Colocasia esculenta
Type: Annual  (here in USDA Zone 8)
Exposure: Sun / Part Shade
Water: Ample

Here’s another dramatic tropical plant that can fool us all into thinking we’re in Tahiti, at least for part of the year. Taro probably originated in sub-tropical Africa and Southeast Asia, and was brought to Hawaii and other Pacific Islands by the first Polynesian settlers. Growing in wetlands in its native climes, both its roots and leaves were widely used as a food source; the Hawaiian food “poi” is made from its tubers.

Here in the Great White North, we use this as a foliage plant to produce a tropical feel for our gardens. Giant leaves reaching 16in (40cm) long by 9in (23cm) wide arch like huge, downward-pointing arrows, borne on the ends of leaf stems that rise directly from the ground. They work well in aquatic containers, or in the ground in moist conditions and partial shade, but they require lots of organic matter to bulk up as fast as they do. They won’t flower here in zone 8. Freezing temperatures means the end of the season for the taro; at this point they can be taken inside to overwinter (if container grown), dug up and the tubers brought inside, or discarded to be replaced the following spring. There are a few different varieties available out there, including color swirls, bi-color and black-leaved selections.

While both the leaves and the tubers are consumed as a food source, neither are eaten raw; cooking breaks down the toxic calcium oxalate. So please, don’t eat your taro…raw.

Pro Tip: While Elephant’s Ear is a common name for Colocasia, Elephant Ears is instead a common name for Bergenia Cordifolia (see my post for February 24th of last year), which is quite different, considering they’re named after the same animal body part. Best to call it by “Taro,” or by its botanical name, “Colocasia.”

Cheers,

John