Bulb · Araceae
Elephant Ear
Colocasia esculenta
Give it rich soil, full sun, and water it can never run out of, and elephant ear throws up huge tropical leaves all season.
Full sun
45–86°F · 7–30°C
USDA 8–11
3–6 ft · 0.9–1.8 m
Overview
Few plants turn a garden tropical as fast as elephant ear. The huge, heart-shaped leaves can stretch past 3 feet (91 cm), swaying on tall stalks over a pond edge or a damp bed. It belongs to the arum family and grows from a fat corm, the same plant the world knows as taro in the kitchen.
This is a creature of warm, wet ground. In its hardy range of zones 8 to 11 it returns year after year, but anywhere colder it is grown as an annual or lifted indoors for winter. It thrives where most plants would rot, taking shallow standing water at a pond margin in stride.
The plant is easy to please as long as you never let it go thirsty. Keep the soil soaked, feed it through the warm months, and shelter the big leaves from hard wind. The reward is a bold, fast clump of foliage, though every raw part of it is toxic, so site it with pets and children in mind.
Care
The short version: rich, constantly wet soil that never dries out, full sun to part shade, warmth, and a monthly feed through spring and summer; lift the corms before frost where it isn't hardy.
Light
Elephant ear grows best in full sun but takes part sun or part shade without complaint. The richest, biggest leaves come with plenty of light, though in a hot climate some afternoon shade keeps the foliage from scorching.
Water
This is the part that matters most. The plant wants constantly wet, boggy soil and should never dry out, and it will even sit happily as a pond marginal in up to 6 inches of standing water. The more sun and heat it gets, the more water it needs.
Soil
Plant it in fertile, humus-rich clay or loam that holds moisture, the kind of ground most plants would find too wet. It shrugs off the occasional flood, which is what makes it such a natural at a pond edge.
Temperature
It runs warm, doing well from about 45°F to 86°F (7°C to 30°C), and growth slows as the air cools. There is no frost tolerance at all, so the first freeze ends the season above ground.
Humidity
Coming from steamy tropical ground, it loves high humidity. Damp air keeps the broad leaves from drying at the edges, which is one more reason it sits so well beside water.
Feeding
Through spring and summer, while it's pushing all that growth, give it a balanced fertilizer once a month. Rich soil and steady feeding are what power those oversized leaves.
Pruning
There's little to do beyond tidying. Cut away tattered, yellowing, or frost-damaged leaves as they appear, and shelter the plant from strong wind, which shreds the big soft leaves.
Repotting
Divide and repot the corms in spring as the clumps fill out. Crowded corms, shrinking leaves, or a clump pushing up out of the pot all tell you it's time to split and give it more room.
Size & spacing
Give it space, because a mature clump runs 3 to 6 feet (91 to 183 cm) tall and just as wide. Set plants far enough apart that the huge leaves have room to spread without crowding.
When to plant
Elephant ear runs on heat and won't tolerate frost. Set the corms out in mid-spring once the soil has warmed and the cold is past, let the foliage build through the warm months, and dig the corms back up before the first fall frost where the plant isn't hardy.
Northern hemisphere
Southern hemisphere
Typical months for a temperate climate: start earlier in warm zones, later where spring frosts linger.
- Plant: Plant corms in mid-spring after the soil warms and frost danger has passed
- Harvest: Rarely flowers in cultivation (yellowish-white spathe); grown as a foliage plant
Hardiness
USDA hardiness zones: 8–11
Temperature: down to -12°C
Troubleshooting
Elephant ear is an easy plant with few pests, so most trouble traces back to either dryness or cold. Read the leaves and you'll usually catch the cause quickly. Match what you see below, then act before more foliage is lost.
Browning, scorched leaf edges and wilting leaves
This bog plant has run short of water, plain and simple. Elephant ear wants its soil wet at all times, and in full hot sun it dries out fast and the big leaves crisp at the edges. Water deeply, lay down mulch to hold the moisture, and give it some afternoon shade where summers are harsh.
Fix:
- Water deeply and keep soil consistently wet
- Mulch to retain moisture
- Provide afternoon shade in hot climates
Leaves collapse and turn black after a cold night
This is frost damage, and it hits the moment a tropical plant meets freezing air. The first fall frost will blacken the foliage overnight. Cut back the ruined leaves, then dig the corms and store them somewhere cool and dry above 45°F (7°C) until spring.
Fix:
- Cut back damaged foliage
- Dig corms after first frost and overwinter in a cool, dry place above 45°F
Toxicity
Treat every raw part of this plant as off limits to mouths. The leaves, stems, and corm are packed with insoluble calcium oxalate crystals that sting and swell the mouth and throat the instant they're chewed, and the swelling can be serious. It is toxic to cats, dogs, horses, and people alike; the corm becomes the edible taro only after thorough cooking, so keep the raw plant away from pets, livestock, and children.
Toxic to
Cats · Dogs · Horses · Rabbits · Livestock · Birds · People
Cats Moderate
A cat that bites a leaf gets a fast, painful sting in the mouth. Watch for heavy drooling, pawing at the face, a swollen mouth and tongue, vomiting, and trouble swallowing.
Dogs Moderate
The crystals burn a dog's mouth on contact, so most spit the plant out quickly. Drooling, retching, a swollen tongue, and difficulty swallowing usually follow.
Horses Moderate
Grazing horses suffer the same searing of the mouth and lips, with drooling and reluctance to eat as the swelling sets in.
Rabbits Toxic
The same raphides irritate a rabbit's mouth and gut, and a small animal has little margin. Keep elephant ear well out of reach of any rabbit.
Livestock Toxic
Cattle, goats, and sheep that browse the raw foliage take painful mouth swelling and digestive upset, and they can refuse food while their mouth recovers.
Birds Toxic
A curious bird that nibbles the leaves gets the same caustic burn to the mouth and crop. Treat the whole raw plant as off limits.
People Caution
Raw, every part stings the mouth and throat and can swell the airway, so this is no salad green. The corm becomes the edible taro only after thorough cooking in salted water; cooked properly it is safe, raw it is not.
Wear gloves when dividing corms; plant sap and raphides can irritate skin and mucous membranes.
Helpline numbers
United States
ASPCA Animal Poison Control: (888) 426-4435 (fee applies)
Poison Control: (800) 222-1222
Canada
Poison Centres: 1-844-764-7669
Varieties
Most of the prized elephant ears are grown for dark, dramatic foliage. These are the ones you'll see named most often.
'Black Magic'
Carries dusky purple-black leaves on matching dark stems for a near-charcoal look.
'Illustris'
Shows dark, almost black leaves laced with bright green veins that stand out against the deep color.
'Black Coral'
Holds glossy, ruffled foliage in a deep blue-black that catches the light.
'Mojito'
Wears green leaves flecked and splashed at random with dark purple-black, so no two are quite alike.
How to propagate
Elephant ear multiplies the same way it grows, from its corms, so making more plants takes little more than splitting what you already have.
DivisionEasy
Spring, as new growth begins · A few weeks to establish in warm, moist conditions
The simplest way to make more is to split a clump in spring just as new growth begins. Pull the corms apart, pot them in rich, peaty mix, and keep them constantly moist. In warm conditions they settle in within a few weeks.
Bulbs & cormsEasy
Plant corms in mid-spring after frost · Sprouts and establishes over several weeks once soil is warm
You can also start from stored corms set out in mid-spring, once frost has passed and the soil is warm. They sprout and root over several weeks. In zones colder than its hardy range, lift the corms each fall and keep them above 45°F (7°C) through winter.
Myths
Elephant ear and taro are poisonous, so they can never be eaten.
Raw, the plant is toxic from insoluble calcium oxalate raphides that burn the mouth. But the corm is a staple food across the tropics, the taro behind Hawaiian poi, once it has been cooked through in salted water. Cooking is what makes it safe; raw, it stays poisonous.