Tropical
Elephant Ear
Colocasia esculenta · Araceae
Also called: Taro, Dasheen, Coco Yam
Elephant Ear (Colocasia esculenta) is a high-water tropical well suited to Tucson and the low desert. It's a fast-growing tropical.
Elephant Ear at a glance
- Water use
- High (established)
- Sun
- Part shade to filtered light in Tucson; full sun is too intense in the low desert and scorches the large thin leaves. Morning sun with afternoon shade, or bright dappled shade, keeps foliage lush. Deep shade reduces vigor.
- Mature size
- 3-6 ft tall and wide (varies by cultivar); large heart-shaped leaves
- Growth rate
- Fast
- Bloom
- Pale yellow-green arum-type spathe (insignificant), Summer (rarely flowers in cultivation; grown for foliage)
- Cold hardiness
- Frost-tender; foliage killed by frost. In Tucson the tubers can overwinter in the ground if mulched heavily in a protected spot, or be dug and stored; treat as a warm-season plant that dies back each winter.
- Soil
- Rich, moisture-retentive soil high in organic matter; tolerates wet, boggy conditions. Heavy mulch helps retain moisture in the dry climate.
- Native range
- Tropical Southeast Asia and India
- Best used as
- Bold tropical foliage accent in shaded/irrigated beds, Pond and water-feature margins, Containers in shade, Adds lush look to oasis-zone landscapes
- Wildlife
- Limited wildlife value; primarily ornamental foliage.
- Toxicity
- Toxic. All parts contain insoluble calcium oxalate crystals that cause intense burning/swelling of the mouth and throat and GI upset if chewed—toxic to pets and children (raw taro is inedible; only cooked, prepared taro is safe to eat). Sap can irritate skin.
How to grow Elephant Ear in Tucson & the low desert
Watering
Grown as a warm-season tropical (spring through monsoon/fall) in Tucson; one of the thirstiest landscape plants here—a bog/water plant that needs constantly moist to wet soil and will wilt fast if it dries out. Water frequently and heavily in summer heat; it even tolerates standing water and pond margins. Plant tubers in spring after frost danger; growth surges with monsoon humidity.
Fertilizer & nutrients
Heavy feeder for big leaves—apply a nitrogen-rich fertilizer regularly (every few weeks) through the growing season, or use a balanced slow-release. Add iron if leaves yellow from chlorosis in alkaline desert soil.
Pruning & care
Remove yellowed, tattered, or frost-damaged leaves at the base. In fall, after frost knocks the foliage back, cut down and either mulch heavily over the tubers or lift and store tubers in a frost-free spot to replant in spring.
Notes
A high-water tropical reserved for shaded, well-irrigated 'oasis' zones in Tucson—poorly suited to low-water xeriscapes and unhappy in full desert sun, which burns its big leaves. It thrives during the humid monsoon season but needs constant moisture the rest of the warm months and frost protection of the tubers in winter. Best used as a dramatic accent where ample irrigation is already available.
Sources: University of Arizona Cooperative Extension; Arizona Master Gardeners (Pima County); Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder