Colocasia - Elephant Ears for the Garden

8/7/2019 Colocasia - Elephant Ears for the Garden

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Cool Colocasias - Elephant Ears for theGarden

By Dennis Carey and Tony AventPlant Delights Nursery, Inc.

www.plantdelights.com9241 Sauls Road

Raleigh, NC 27603919.772.4794

Colocasia esculenta var. antiquorum 'Black Beauty'
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The Colocasia Family

Colocasias are known in the western world by three common names; taro, kalo and thedescriptive anatomical name, elephant ear. There are dozens of common names used inother parts of the world including culcas (from which the genus name Colocasia is

derived), eddo, imo, dasheen, cocoyam and malombo. Colocasia have a worldwidedistribution and are grown in tropical and sub-tropical countries as a vital staple foodcrop and fodder crop. Colocasia esculenta is the 14th most widely consumed vegetable onearth. Ornamental Colocasia (the focus of this article) are important plants in gardens

because they add a bold, tropical look.

The common name, elephant ear, is also occasionally used to describe plants in relatedgenera such as alocasia, remusatia, and xanthosoma. The leaves of the elephant ear plantand its relatives are typically large, flat and sagittate to broadly ovate in shape and reallydo look like they belong on a pachyderm's head. The term, elephant ear, is also used todescribe both the unrelated plant Burdock in the genus arctium and a delicious fried

dough treat at most State Fairs. Oddly enough, the genus name Colocasia is also used for a European moth.

Colocasia belong to the araceae family (whose members we call aroids) and share theunique spathe and spadix inflorescence of other aroid genera such as spathiphyllum(Peace Lily). The genus Colocasia contains slightly more than a dozen species withseveral new ones being described recently. The vast majority of the cultivars used inornamental gardens belong to Colocasia esculenta. There are also a small number of attractive varieties of lesser known species such as Colocasia affinis, Colocasia fallax ,Colocasia gigantea , and Colocasia heterochroma available for discriminating gardeners.Other species may also have garden potential but are not yet in cultivation. These includeColocasia bicolor, Colocasia formosana, Colocasia gaoligongensis, Colocasia gongii,Colocasia konishii, Colocasia lihengiae, Colocasia menglaensis, Colocasia oresbia,Colocasia tibetensis, and Colocasia yunnanensis.

Esculenta varieties are normally diploid (2n=28) as are many of the other species in thegenus. However, triploid (3n = 42) varieties are not uncommon in cultivation and areusually more cold tolerant. Colocasia species will rarely cross with other Colocasiaspecies and supposedly with alocasia. A few intergeneric and interspecific hybrids havereportedly been discovered or hybridized, including Colocasia esculenta x Alocasia

brisbanensis, Colocasia esculenta x Colocasia gigantea , and Colocasia gigantea xAlocasia macrorhizos. In 2005, we found a plant in Northern Vietnam that we assume to

be the latter cross, but we'll be sure when the DNA analysis is complete.

History of Colocasia

Elephant ear plants have been in cultivation for over 28,000 years as a food crop inequatorial regions including India, China, Southeast Asia, Indonesia, Polynesia, theMediterranean, Africa, and South America. Because Colocasia has been in cultivation for so long, no one knows for sure where it truly is native, but all evidence points to
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somewhere in Southeast Asia. All parts of the plant are edible if they are thoroughlysteamed or boiled to first remove calcium oxalate crystals. The cooked leaves are used inHawaiian luaus and the corms are mashed into poi. Prior to the mid-1800s, Colocasia were a staple food crop and the native Hawaiians cultivated hundreds of varieties.Modern agricultural crops have supplanted Colocasia in Hawaii and the number of

commercially grown varieties has plummeted. However, beginning in the 20th century,agricultural scientists started to preserve the Hawaiian Colocasia varieties and breed newones. These breeding efforts have also led to the development of many new ornamentalvarieties.

Growing Colocasia

Colocasia culture is fairly simple. Just remember the mantra: "more water + morenutrients = more plant". Gardeners can grow potted Colocasia esculenta cultivars inshallow bodies of water, but other species, such as Colocasia gigantea , need better drainage. Colocasia grow very well as a pond marginal, and when grown in containers,

the pots can be submerged slightly during the summer months. Containers of Colocasia must be brought indoors in cold winter climates.

Colocasia are heavy feeders and for best performance require organic fertilizers and richorganic soil with plenty of composted material. A pH from 5.5 to 7.0 is satisfactory. MostColocasia prefer bright sunlight, unless grown in extremely hot, low humidity climates,where some light shade will be necessary. Elephant ears should be planted slightly deeper than they grow in the pot, or when planting dormant corms, put them at a depth of 2" to4".

During the growing season, Colocasia will continually produce new leaves as the older leaves continually die off. Growers will want to periodically remove the dead leaves inorder to prevent the leaves from covering ground-cover plants and to keep the gardenlooking tidy. Some gardeners may be sensitive to the juices of cut Colocasia stems(which contain calcium oxalate) and may notice some skin or eye irritation unless theywear gloves or wash their hands soon after contact.

Propagation

Colocasia can be propagated by seed collected about 30 days after fertilization, andsurface sown as soon as possible after drying. Germination should take place within 21days. In addition you can divide the larger corms, collect offsets (cormels) or separate thenew plantlets that form at the rhizome tips on the running types. The long runners formnodes along their length, and new growth buds exist at each of these nodes.

Overwintering Colocasia

As the day length shortens, Colocasia switch their energy resources from producingleaves to flower and corm production. The production of leaves will become smaller andthe corm will swell noticeably. At this time, most of the current season's roots will die
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off. It is important to understand this physiological change in order to successfullyoverwinter your elephant ear.

There is also quite a difference in winter hardiness of Colocasia . Colocasia giganteaThailand Giant Strain is a solid USDA Hardiness Zone 8b, while Colocasia 'Pink China'

is reportedly winter hardy to Zone 6. The rest fall somewhere in between. Typically,triploid cultivars are about a half zone hardier than their diploid counterparts. From Zone8b south, most Colocasia should be reliably winter hardy in the ground without

protection. This successful zone of cultivation also extends into Zone 8a, but somemarginally hardy cultivars may be slow to return after a hard winter.

In Zone 7b, most Colocasia will return without benefit of mulch with a few exceptions.Colocasia affinis 'Jenningsii', Colocasia esculenta 'Nancy's Revenge' , Colocasia giganteaThailand Giant Strain , and Colocasia esculenta 'Elepaio', need slightly warmer winters(zones 8a-8b) to return without benefit of winter protection. In this hardiness zone, hardyColocasia may survive, but the large central corm can freeze and rot during the winter,

leaving only the smaller offsets to survive. In this case, returning plants may not reachfull size during the ensuing season. To overcome this, cover the clump after the first frostwith a 1' tall pile of shredded leaves, which works well to protect the main corm. The

plants will grow through the leaves when they re-emerge in spring.

In colder zones, the same principle can be used but with a slightly altered technique.Assuming the plant has made good growth during the summer, after the first frost,encircle the base of the plant with a 3' diameter cage of hog wire and fill it with shreddedleaves. If left unshredded, the leaves will pack together and hold unwanted moistureagainst the plant, causing it to rot. When new leaves emerge in spring, remove the cageand filler.

Northern gardeners (Zone 7a and north) will need to bring their elephant ears indoors before the temperatures drop below freezing. Over winter, elephant ears can be grownindoors as potted house plants. If you grow your elephant ears outdoors in containersduring the summer, cut back all but the top two leaves, then bring the pot indoors the

before first frost. If growing elephant ears in the ground during the summer, pot them before frost in an appropriately-sized container and place the pot in a cool area (45-60F isideal) where the plant receives bright light. Do not over water in winter as the plants arestill semi-dormant.

Most of the dwarf non-corm forming species should be kept growing during the winter,along with non-tuber forming selections of Colocasia esculenta including Colocasiaesculenta 'Black Magic' and Colocasia esculenta 'Nancy's Revenge' . Colocasia giganteaThailand Giant Strain is also slow to develop a large corm, so is best kept in activegrowth.

Varieties of Colocasia that form large corms, such as most Colocasia esculenta cultivars,can be dug up and the corms stored in peat moss for the winter. They need to be kept in adry, cool, but above-freezing location. Do not store in an airtight container which may
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allow moisture to build, causing the tuber to rot. Don't forget to label your tubers!

Clumpers versus Runners

Colocasia can be divided into two groups: the clumpers and the runners, although some

cultivars blur the lines. Early edible Colocasia grown for taro was originally the formColocasia esculenta variety aquatilis. This form produces very long stolons (aboveground runners), forming a large mass of plants in a short time. While this trait may begood for large plantings, it is less desirable in a garden of limited space. In tropicalclimates such as the Gulf Coast, they can truly take over, which gives all elephant ears anundeserved bad reputation in these climates.

Many modern elephant ears bred with these early plants still have above ground runners,although the degree of running is somewhat less. The only Colocasia that spread by

below ground runners are Colocasia esculenta 'Illustris' and its close cousins, Colocasiaesculenta var. antiquorum 'Black Beauty' and Colocasia esculenta 'Coal Miner' . The

clumping varieties have an attractive vase shape in the garden, and many of the cultivarsavailable today are very slow or are nonexistent runners, just like me.

Elephant Ear Breeding

We first became interested in elephant ears in the late 1980's, but it was on a 2003 trip toHawaii looking for elephant ears that the scope of our interest and knowledge of thegenus changed dramatically. Here, I met Dr. John Cho, of the University of HawaiiExperiment Station on Maui. A plant pathology professor, Dr. Cho was breeding edibleColocasia for leaf spot resistance, unaware that anyone would be interested in their ornamental value. I was speechless at his complete collection of all the known cultivarsof Hawaiian edible taro, along with his amazing hybrids. In the ensuing months, weestablished a formal trialing relationship with Dr. Cho and the university, whichcontinues to this day. Every year thereafter, Dr. Cho has visited Plant Delights, where wespend several days evaluating his hybrid elephant ears and discussing possible futurecrosses. In Fall 2005, the management of the program was handed off to Planthaven, aCalifornia-based plant marketing firm and the first six plants were commercially releasedin 2008. Dr. Cho retired in 2009, but is continuing his breeding work to develop uniqueand gardenworthy ornamental taro selections.

Ear Color Choices

The leaves of elephant ears are their most important ornamental trait. The most commoncolor is a rich emerald green, but now leaf colors can range from black or brown, tochartreuse gold. In addition, the leaves will vary in glossiness from a matte finish(common) to a high gloss shine (rare in colocasia). It is also quite common to find leavescontaining thick mid veins and major side veins of a contrasting color. The major veinsmay be green, purple, creamy ivory, yellow or pink (who doesn't like a pink elephant?).The extent of the vein color varies. The coloration may only occur at the "piko" (the"belly button" on the top of the leaf opposite the point of attachment to the petiole) or
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may run through all of the major veins of the leaf. In addition, the mid-vein colorationoften leaks into the surrounding lamina tissue and may form an oval shape as withColocasia esculenta 'Nancy's Revenge' as the season progresses. This trait appears to betriggered at the same time as flowering and may be under the same genetic control. It isnot uncommon for the bottom of the leaf to have a different lamina or vein coloration

than the top of the leaf, which provides a nice flash of color on windy days. The newlyappearing leaves may have a different color than when the leaves are mature.

Breeders are also selecting variegated cultivars. Variegation in Colocasia often takes theform of variable sized splotches or flecks of color on the leaf surface. Variegations inColocasia are somewhat unstable and reversions are common. Also, the variegation mayappear in sectors or only on one side of the leaf. Common color combinations invariegated elephant ears are light green to yellow splotches on dark green leaves, greensplotches on purple leaves, or purple splotches on light green or dark green leaves. Theleaf variegation also runs down the petioles, where it is often more visible than in theleaves.

The elephant ears that gardeners seem to get most excited about are the solid purple-leaved or solid black-leaved esculenta cultivars. The color purple makes a greatcontrasting color in the garden and on plants as large as elephant ears, purple makes a

bold statement. The purple coloration can vary from a dusty gray-purple to extremelydark purples which appear black. Black elephant ear plants are wonderful to have unlessyou like to spend time in your garden at night! The purple-leaved cultivars usually have amatte finish, although there is one moderately glossy purple-leaved cultivar in the trade,Colocasia esculenta 'Diamond Head' PP 19,939 . In the future, look for purple- or black-leaved cultivars with extremely glossy foliage (I can't wait!).

In addition to color, breeders are selecting for various leaf shapes and textures. Leavesmay be somewhat arrow-head shaped (sagittate), or may be roundish on the sides, like afat arrow-head. Generally, the leaf tip (apex) is pointed (acuminate) and the leaf base hastwo pointed or rounded lobes of varying size with a "Y" shaped sinus between them. Theleaf margin may be smooth or ruffled. The leaf surface may be smooth, somewhat

puckered, or even cupped in such a way that it can hold quite a bit of water. Somecultivars that are in the pipeline right now will feature the brand new trait of reflexed leaf edges. All Colocasia leaves are hairless (glabrous) and have a smooth waxy feel.

The leaves are held up by very long thick petioles that emerge directly from theunderground corm. The petiole to leaf attachment is "peltate". In other words, the petioledoes not attach to the edge of the leaf, but rather to the middle of the lower surface of theleaf. As a result, the leaves are held perpendicular to the petiole. The petioles grow nearlystraight up, but the leaves are generally upward or outward facing. The petioles may haveattractive colors that contrast with the leaf. The petiole color may be black, purple,

burgundy, maroon, red, pink, cream, or they may be streaked with several colors at once.The petioles are thick enough so that their color is easily noticed and is a nice ornamentalfeature.
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Flowers

Colocasia are not known for their flowers (inflorescences, actually) because they arehidden underneath the leaf canopy. However, the inflorescences are large, quite attractiveand frequently fragrant...although only just as the spathe opens. The spathe and spadix

inflorescence (think calla lily, a fellow aroid) is held on a short peduncle and may be upto 8" long by 3" wide (but usually smaller). Spathe color is usually white or yellow andspadix color can vary from creamy white to yellow or orange. The fruits (which are rareunless you hand-pollinate) are a cluster of small berries, 3 to 5mm wide, that are greenishor yellowish in color with several seeds inside.

Size Matters

Colocasia vary in size from the diminutive Colocasia heterochroma 'Dark Shadows' atonly 8" tall to the mammoth Colocasia gigantea Thailand Giant Strain which can top outat over 9' tall in ideal conditions. Most varieties fall within the 3' to 5' tall range. The

leaves also vary in size from only 4" wide by 6" long on Colocasia heterochroma 'Dark Shadows' to 4' wide by 5' long in Colocasia gigantea Thailand Giant Strain . The large-leaved varieties are truly an amazing sight to behold.

For the purposes of this article, we'll divide Colocasia into 3 categories: the "dwarf"types, the "giant" types, and the "esculenta" types, as these are the categories that havedifferent uses in the garden. In the following paragraphs, we've separated the cultivarsinto these categories in order to help you select the best plants for your site.

Dwarf Elephant Ears

The dwarf Colocasia include any taxa that are less than 2' in height. These are small plants that look good planted en masse or as accessories for other small tropical plants.There are some small Colocasia esculenta cultivars, but they will be discussed under the"esculenta" type Colocasia .

Colocasia affinis is a charming but little-known dwarf elephant ear that is loved for its picture-perfect, velvety charcoal leaf face with central charcoal veining and a giant silver blotch in the center of each leaf. Much of the material sold as this is actually Colocasiaesculenta 'Illustris' (no central silver pattern and green veins). This 1' tall, light shade andmoisture-loving species has proven to be a superb garden plant. Throughout the summer,the dense clumps are adorned with small flowers of the yellow spathes and spadix

persuasion. For us, Colocasia affinis resprouts in late June, so don't panic! Colocasiaaffinis is represented in the trade by the cultivar Colocasia affinis 'Jenningsii'. Since wehave not grown other cultivars of this species, we don't know how different this is fromthe typical species. Like Colocasia heterochroma, Colocasia affinis goes winter dormantregardless of the temperature. (Hardiness Zone 8-10)

Colocasia fallax is a delightful dwarf elephant ear from China. Unlike most other elephant ears, this light shade and moisture lover forms rounded leaves of velvety
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medium green, each highlighted by a wide silver streak down the center vein, withsmaller silver veins radiating from the center to the leaf edge. The plants are adorned allsummer with small yellow spathe and spadix flowers. The 15" tall plants make a 4' wide

patch in 2 years (in very wet soils) by means of short, above-ground stolons...quiteunique and quite beautiful (Hardiness Zone 7b-10).

Colocasia fallax is represented in the trade by the cultivar Colocasia fallax 'Silver Dollar' ,a PDN introduction composed of small, rich green leaves much more rounded thannormal and also highlighted by narrow silver veins and a wide central silver blotch...notto mention held atop cinnamon-colored petioles. We are also growing another selection,Colocasia fallax 'Silver Splash', which seems a bit taller, reaching 18-20", but spreadsless vigorously than other forms we grow.

The smallest of the dwarf Colocasia is Colocasia heterochroma which measures aLilliputian 8" tall. This fascinating new Colocasia species was discovered at 4,000'elevation in Yingjiang, Yunnan Province, China. The plant was subsequently named in

1993 by China's aroid expert, Dr. Li Heng. Colocasia heterochroma, a June emerger which prefers light shade, forms a small patch via short underground rhizomes to only 8"tall x 18" wide...a far cry from its taller cousins. The 6" long x 4" wide leaves are silverygreen with a dramatic black interveinal leaf pattern. Unlike most other Colocasia species,it goes dormant in winter even if kept warm. Colocasia heterochroma 'Dark Shadows' is acultivar that we named with particularly dark leaf patterns. (Hardiness Zone 7b-9)

Mid-Sized Elephant Ears

The second type of Colocasia in this article are the Colocasia esculenta cultivars whichrepresent the majority of the taxa in the trade today. They vary in height from 2.5' to 5'tall, and where the climate allows, prefer full sun unless indicated differently. Colocasiaesculenta has the widest color and leaf shape variation, and range of variegation of elephant ears. Some have a clumping habit, and some are runners. The solid green-leaved, clumping Colocasia esculenta is the most common in the trade and can often befound as a dormant corm even in the large box stores. The common Colocasia esculenta

produces a 5' tall, green-leaved plant with 2.5' wide by 3.5' long leaves with green petioles and a smooth margin (leaf edge). Colocasia esculenta is represented in the trade by the following cultivars.

Colocasia esculenta var. antiquorum 'Black Beauty' is a superb 2006 Agri-Startsintroduction, a stunning mutation of the popular Colocasia 'Illustris'. If you can imagineintensifying the black leaf color and removing some of the green veins of Colocasiaesculenta var. antiquorum 'Illustris', you can visualize Colocasia esculenta var.antiquorum 'Black Beauty' . In the ground, Colocasia esculenta var. antiquorum 'Black Beauty' forms a 30" tall patch, spreading underground like Colocasia esculenta var.antiquorum 'Illustris', making a 4' wide patch in 3-4 years...simply stunning. (HardinessZone 7-10)

Colocasia esculenta 'Black Magic' was introduced by California's Walter Pagels. This
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revolutionary plant was the first of the solid black-leaf elephant ears to be introduced.The dusty, solid purple-black leaves to 2' long, make this elephant ear one of the mostspectacular forms ever introduced...especially great for designers who love purples and

blacks! It makes a giant clump to 5' tall with a similar spread. Our original plant camefrom Bob Whitman at Southern Exposure Nursery Texas in the early 1990s. For a while,

Bob lost the label on his plant and mistakenly re-labeled some he sold as Colocasia 'JetBlack Wonder', an error which unfortunately still persists in the trade. (Hardiness Zone8a-10)

Colocasia esculenta 'Black Marble' (aka Colocasia 'Multiflora') is an Agri-Startsintroduction that sported from the old favorite Colocasia esculenta 'Burgundy Stem'. Each3' tall clump is composed of dark gray-green leaves, highlighted by random purple-black sectors and flecks. Despite the instability of the pattern, the patterning does persistthroughout the entire plant. Due to this instability, Colocasia 'Black Marble' has a highcull rate in production and will never be produced commercially in huge numbers. Thisand the fact that Colocasia 'Black Marble' is a weak grower will always keep it quite rare.

(Hardiness Zone 7b-10)Colocasia esculenta 'Black Runner' is a newer black-leaved cultivar that represents achange from Colocasia esculenta 'Black Magic' . Colocasia esculenta 'Black Runner' is

probably a mutation of the popular Colocasia esculenta 'Black Magic' . Colocasiaesculenta 'Black Runner' makes a stunning 5' tall clump with 2' long leaves that emergemore of a black-purple than Colocasia esculenta 'Black Magic' . Its leaf edges are alsomuch more ruffled than its cousin. However, the biggest difference is the black, snake-like runners creeping along the ground, pegging into moist soil every few inches andsending up new plants. (Hardiness Zone 8a-10)

Colocasia esculenta 'Blue Hawaii' PP 20,003 is a 2008 John Cho hybrid, composed of medium green 12" long leaves highlighted by the most dramatic purple veins we've ever seen on an elephant ear. On the leaf back, the veins are equally dramatic, only cranberryinstead of purple. This small elephant ear tops out for us at only 30" tall...perfect for asmaller location. Remember, rich moist soil grows the best elephant ears. (HardinessZone 7b-10)

Colocasia esculenta 'Chicago Harlequin' was discovered by John Joicus of the BrookfieldZoo circa 1993, in a batch of normal Colocasia esculenta. The giant green leaves of Colocasia esculenta 'Chicago Harlequin' are each blotched with large, lighter green,random sectors. The highlight, however, is the tall 5' stems, which are vividly stripedwith cream-and-green vertical bands. Colocasia esculenta 'Chicago Harlequin' spreadsrapidly in very wet areas by means of above-ground stolons. (Hardiness Zone 7b-10)

Colocasia esculenta 'Coal Miner' is a 2007 Plant Delights Nursery introduction. Severalyears ago, we received plants from India as Colocasia antiquorum. One exceptional clonewas later christened Colocasia esculenta 'Coal Miner' . In appearance, Colocasia esculenta'Coal Miner' looks like a larger version of Colocasia 'Illustris' except for emerging 2months earlier (late March in NC), not spreading underground as vigorously as Colocasia
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'Illustris', and being a diploid as compared to the triploid status of Colocasia 'Illustris'.The black leaf pattern is also similar to Colocasia 'Illustris', but the background leaf color is quite different (dark olive vs. medium green), and the emerging new leaves have astunning velvet patina. For us, Colocasia esculenta 'Coal Miner' tops out at 54" tall, whileColocasia 'Illustris' only reaches 40" for us. (Hardiness Zone 7-10)

Colocasia esculenta 'Diamond Head' PP 19,939 is a 2008 release from John Cho's breeding program that takes elephant ears to a whole new level. With this introduction,John has been able to combine the color of Colocasia esculenta 'Black Magic' with theglossy leaf surface usually seen only in alocasias. The 15" long, glossy, chocolate-black,lightly ruffled-edged leaves compose a well-behaved 4' tall clump. (Hardiness Zone 7b-10)

Colocasia esculenta 'Elena' PPAF is a more winter hardy replacement for the tropicalXanthosoma 'Lime Zinger'. This chartreuse-leaf elephant ear was found as a sport of Colocasia 'Chicago Harlequin' at Alan Shapiro's Grandiflora Nursery by Randy Strode of

Agri-Starts, and subsequently named after Alan's wife, Ellen. Our clumps, which top outat 3' tall, are composed of creamy ivory stalks that turn purple where they join the leaf.The stalks are topped with 20" chartreuse leaves with purple veins where the stalk attaches...perfect for some cool color combinations. Colocasia esculenta 'Elena' PPAF willspread by aboveground rhizomes when planted in moist sites. After cold winters, this isvery late to re-emerge. (Hardiness Zone 7b-10)

Colocasia esculenta 'Elepaio' is named after the rare Hawaiian flycatcher bird. This veryrare, 30" tall elephant ear is one of the classic old Hawaiian cultivars. Colocasia 'Elepaio'makes a small, 3' tall clump of green foliage that is heavily spotted with white paint-likeflecks. This unstable chimeral variegation pattern often results in some leaves that arehalf green and half white. This is a true curiosity and what we call a "fun" plant for thegarden. (Hardiness Zone 8a-10)

Colocasia esculenta 'Hawaiian Eye' PP 19,884 is a 2008 John Cho introduction thatmakes a 4' tall non-running clump, composed of large 18" long leaves that emerge black with silver-gray veins. As the leaves age, they morph to gray green, each highlighted by adark central eye of purple radiating out into the leaf. Each leaf is further highlighted by anarrow purple border and a great backside as the veins on the reverse appear to be brightcranberry. The glossy jet black stem is a stunning contrast to both the leaves and the

bright yellow flowers in late summer. (Hardiness Zone 7b-10)

Colocasia esculenta 'Hilo Bay' PP 20,108 is a 2008 introduction from the breeding program of Hawaii's John Cho, that makes a unique 4' tall specimen with thick, dark chocolate stems, each ending with a 20" olive green leaf. Each thick textured and heavilycorrugated leaf with upturned edges is reminiscent of the volcanic rock at Hilo Bay...veryunique. This selection produces short runners as the clump ages, but nothing like the oldmore aggressive cultivars. (Hardiness Zone 7b-10)

Colocasia esculenta var. antiquorum 'Illustris' is commonly known as Imperial Taro. The
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30" tall Colocasia 'Illustris' is one of the most striking plants in our garden after itemerges in early June! This black-leaved elephant ear has dramatic green veins,highlighting the black background...always a conversation piece. Imperial Taro has

proven hardy below 0 degrees F in our garden. The plant is slightly rhizomatous,spreading by short underground runners. It moves slowly in heavy dry clay but abounds

freely in wet organic soils. (Hardiness Zone 7-10)

Colocasia esculenta 'Lime Aide' is an Alan Galloway introduction, diagnosed to be borderline schizophrenic...some leaves are dark green with chartreuse yellow flecks,while others have large sectors of yellow between the green. The leaves are in addition tothe cool leaf petioles which are heavily striped green and yellow. This 4' tall plant spreads

by above ground stolons. Alan discovered this gem while ditch-hopping in thePhilippines...another reason for expanding this botanical pastime. (Hardiness Zone 7b-10)

Colocasia esculenta 'Maui Magic' PP 19,625 is a 2008 John Cho release forming animpressive 5' tall clump of dark black-purple stems, topped with 2' long leaves that

emerge glossy purplish-black and then change to a semi-glossy dark olive-green,highlighted by purple veins, which are even more prevalent on the leaf backs. This is avery robust grower without any sign of runners. (Hardiness Zone 7b-10)

Colocasia esculenta 'Mojito' PPAF (pronounced Mo-he-toe) is a sport of Colocasia'Burgundy Stem' via Colocasia 'Black Marble', discovered at Florida's Agristarts. Namedafter the popular Cuban mixed drink, the amazing leaves are medium green with dark

purple flecks throughout...just too cool! Since this clone has less vigor than many others,you can expect the clump to only reach 3', less in drier sites. Although winter-hardy inZone 7b, the central tuber will often die in the low teens F, so to get larger-sized plants,mulch well in winter to save the central tuber. (Hardiness Zone 7b-10)

Colocasia esculenta 'Nancy's Revenge' was introduced at the 2000 International AroidSociety meeting in Florida, where it was the most drooled-upon plant. Emerging solidgreen, the 25" long, light green leaves begin turning buttercream-yellow along the center at the onset of flowering, to which the coloring is genetically tied. The color then poursdown into the main vein creating a huge, bold Y-pattern in the center of the leaf. Color then bursts into the lateral (side) veins and begins its march to the margins. Colocasiaesculenta 'Nancy's Revenge' sends out lots of side stolons that will root into the soilwhere moisture is adequate. Colocasia esculenta 'Nancy's Revenge' was discovered in theCaribbean and imported by Jerry Kranz, who later named the plant for his business

partner, Nancy McDaniels of Florida. The oft seen made up name of Colocasia nancyanais invalid. (Hardiness Zone 8-10)

Colocasia esculenta 'Pineapple Princess' PP 20982 is a 2008 John Cho hybrid that forms alow 3' tall x 5' wide non-stoloniferous clump, composed of 18" long dusty gray-lavender leaves, each highlighted by dramatic purple veins. The backs of the leaves are equally asdramatic with the dark purple veins showing off against the gray-purple back. This has

proven to be a vigorous grower in our trials, flowering well in late summer and fall withspiky yellow flowers, which are fruity smelling as they begin to open...magnificent!
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(Hardiness Zone 7b-10)

Colocasia esculenta 'Pink China' is an introduction from Kentucky's Brian Williams, andhas been the hardiest elephant ear in his trials, with tubers left on top of the groundsurviving outdoors in Kentucky. We have heard unverified reports of hardiness in

warmer Zone 5, but we'll believe it when we see temperature documentation. Regardlessof the hardiness, Colocasia 'Pink China' makes an attractive 4' tall clump that spreadsrapidly by rhizomes to create a large patch. The green leaves are held atop mauvy-pink stems. (Hardiness Zone 6-10)

Colocasia esculenta 'Rhubarb' was "discovered" by Oregon plantsman Burl Mostul on atrip to Hawaii, where he found a clump growing in a suburban garden and realized its

potential. The 4' tall stems that hold the large green leaves are brilliant red. We're nottalking about a little anthocyanin pigment you have to strain to see, but we are talkingreal WOW red from 100' away. Be the first in your neighborhood to dazzle your friends.(Hardiness Zone 7b-10)

Colocasia esculenta 'Royal Cho' is the first release from the incredible breeding programof Hawaii's Dr. John Cho. This first release forms a stout 4' tall clump of glaucous-greenleaves held atop thick, jet-black stems. The leaves are highlighted by a central purple veinthat radiates out into the leaf. The same veins are also prominently visible on the leaf

backs as the wind blows. (Hardiness Zone 7b-10)

Colocasia esculenta 'Surf City' is a 2009 introduction from Hawaiian elephant ear breeder John Cho. I've been drawn to this variety since we first put it in our trials. The vigorousgrowing tight clump is composed of 5' tall stalks that are purple toward the top, eachholding a narrowly pointed, amazingly ruffled leaf. Each leaf is adorned with a small

purple dot where the stem attaches to the leaf back. The narrow ruffled leaves add anentirely different texture in the garden. This plant was originally introduced as Colocasia'Waikiki', but this was in error and that name has been reserved for a future introduction.(Hardiness Zone 7b-10)

Colocasia esculenta 'Tiger Stripe' is an Alan Galloway selection that makes a large 5' tallclump of medium green leaves with some chartreuse yellow flecking. The best trait is thestunning stalks, which are heavily streaked with purple and yellow. When the soil ismoist, it spreads well via aboveground stolons, forming a large patch. (Hardiness Zone7b-10)

Colocasia esculenta 'Yellow Splash' is one of several splashed forms entering the US, butthis name should only be applied to this cultivar. Each 4' tall clump of large, gray-greenleaves is heavily splashed with creamy yellow patterns, differing in each leaf. Colocasiaesculenta 'Yellow Splash' spreads via above-ground stolons, so propagation will be easy.Rich organic soils that stay moist in the summer will result in the largest plants. Thanksto plantsman Frank Galloway for sharing this exciting introduction. (Hardiness Zone 7b-10)
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Giant Elephant Ears

In stark contrast to the dwarf elephant ears are the towering "giant" type Colocasia whichmax out at over 5' tall or have extremely large leaves. These plants make bold statementsin the garden and look great as specimen plants. They can be grown in large containers or

they can be under-planted with a variety of small plants to compliment the texture or color. There are four Colocasia esculenta forms that reach these giant proportions:Colocasia esculenta 'Big Dipper' , Colocasia 'Burgundy Stem', Colocasia esculenta 'Jack'sGiant' , and Colocasia esculenta 'Ruffles' .

Colocasia esculenta 'Big Dipper' is an unusual elephant ear that appears to be a mutationfrom Colocasia esculenta 'Burgundy Stem'. The 6' tall purple-black stems are topped withgray-green matte finish leaves that are initially held horizontally before they mature to amore vertical angle. The unique effect is that the leaves can actually hold quite a bit of water. When the leaves have too much water, they dump the excess and then return tohorizontal to catch more...fascinating! This is a very vigorous cultivar producing lots of

black snake-like runners atop the ground. (Hardiness Zone 7b-10)Colocasia esculenta 'Burgundy Stem' makes a bold statement in the garden, with 80" tall,deep purple petioles leading to the 3' long, giant green leaves with a slight hazy purplecast, like the air over Los Angeles. The 1' tall yellow flowers have a wonderful papaya-like fragrance. Although it sends out 4' long wild-looking runners, the runners are notoverly numerous and the plants don't take over. (Hardiness Zone 7b-10)

Colocasia esculenta 'Jack's Giant' is a plant that we received from Jack de Vroomen of Marlboro Bulb Company, who brought this to us from Costa Rica. The tuber was muchlarger and shaped differently from other Colocasia esculenta forms we had grown. In our garden, the plants easily reached 7' tall, even in a very dry section, with medium greenleaves similar to typical Colocasia esculenta. We are pretty sure it is a triploid form,which should increase winter hardiness. (Hardiness Zone 7b-10)

Colocasia esculenta 'Ruffles' is a spectacular form of the hardy elephant ear that comes tous from a garden in Anniston, Alabama, where it was "discovered" by Southeast PalmSociety member Hayes Jackson. We can attest that this 6' tall clumper has both

phenomenal vigor as well as hardiness (probably a triploid). Each 3' long leaf hasincredibly scalloped edges that sets it apart from typical Colocasia esculenta. In growthhabit, it performs here as a clumper, unlike the more stoloniferous forms. Colocasiaesculenta 'Ruffles' has also multiplied faster than any elephant ear we have grown, withclumps multiplying from 1 to 100 divisions in 12-24 months. (Hardiness Zone 7-10)

There are a few interspecific elephant ears in the market that aren't Colocasia esculenta, but appear to be a hybrid of that species. I have included them separately, although ingrowth habit, they behave identically to the Colocasia esculenta selections.

Colocasia 'Fontanesii' is undoubtedly one of the most spectacular plants in our garden.The giant purple-black petioles rise to nearly 7'. At the end of each petiole sits a giant,
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green, heart-shaped leaf (to 3' long) with a shiny black cast. In late summer, the plant ishome to wonderful yellow aroid flowers, to 12" long, with a fragrance of papayas.(Hardiness Zone 7b-10)

Colocasia 'Blackwater' is from a 2003 shipment of Colocasia from India of which most

were inferior to plants we already grew. However, after several years of trials, one plantstood out that we named and introduced in 2007. Colocasia 'Blackwater' is similar toColocasia 'Fontanesii' with glossy, jet black stems rising to 6' tall. The stems are toppedwith glossy, dark olive-green leaves that are much darker and narrower, with a longer leaf tip than Colocasia 'Fontanesii'. It spreads rapidly via black snake-like rhizomes that layon top of the ground. (Hardiness Zone 7b-10)

Colocasia 'Coffee Cups' is a unique elephant ear, discovered in the wild by Indonesian botanist Gregory Hambali and brought to the US by aroid expert Alan Galloway.Colocasia 'Coffee Cups' makes a stunning 6' tall clump of Colocasia 'Fontanesii' leaves(glossy olive green) with a dark purple-black stem. The unique feature is the dramatic

leaf cupping, even more dramatic than Colocasia esculenta 'Big Dipper' . As the leaf fillswith water, the stem gives enough for the leaf to dump out its catch beforerefilling...fascinating. Obviously, it performs best in freshly ground soil. Colocasia'Coffee Cups' sends out above-ground runners...but only in the fall. People seem to havehad trouble keeping the name correct. It is often incorrectly labeled Colocasia 'Tea Cups',and worst, most of the plants previously sold in the US under this name are actuallyColocasia esculenta 'Big Dipper' . Our trials have shown it to be dramatically less-vigorous than Colocasia esculenta 'Big Dipper' (Hardiness Zone 8a-10)

Colocasia gigantea is a plant that baffled me for years, since the only clone in the trade(until after 2002) was one that we obtained from plant collector extraordinaire HayesJackson, that was shared with him by an Asian friend. Despite our best efforts, this plantnever exceeded 4' in height, although it was reliably winter hardy in Zone 7b. In addition,it offset quickly despite not making runners, making a large colony in just a few shortyears, and we have never heard of this plant flowering. I now believe it is either simply afast-offsetting selection or a Colocasia gigantea hybrid. The upright (unusual for acolocasia) glaucous-green leaves make a clump that more closely resembles an alocasia.

Colocasia gigantea Thailand Giant Strain is the super-sized king of our colocasiacollection. This huge strain of the giant elephant ear was grown from wild collected seed(PES 1003B) from Kanchanaburi Province, Thailand, in 2003 by former PDN ResearchManager, Petra Schmidt. In the wild, the plants reached a massive 9' tall, which wasmuch larger than others seen throughout Thailand where this species is native. Iconfirmed this in a 2005 trip and subsequently, none of our other accessions fromThailand have approached this plant in size. For us, each individual leaf grows in excessof 5' long x 4' wide. We have grown this both from seed and now as a clone, and all

plants retain the giant size. The leaves are an attractive glaucous-gray which is typical of this species, and from middle age, the plants are adorned with clusters of dramaticallylarge, pleasantly scented, clusters of white flowers.
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These are just a sample of the wonderful selections and hybrids that have been evaluatedhere at Plant Delights Nursery. We have many more exciting and novel cultivars in the

pipeline and cannot wait to release them to you. In the future, look for improvements toexisting cultivars, better leaf colors, better petiole colors, novel vein colors, more leaf glossiness, better leaf ruffling, novel leaf shapes, better clumping habits, novel

variegations, and inter-specific/inter-generic hybrids. We would like again to give aspecial thanks to Dr. John Cho who has done fantastic work in developing newornamental varieties of elephant ears for the world to enjoy.

References

Cao, L., and C. Long, (2003). "Colocasia bicolor (Araceae), a new species from YunnanChina", Annales Botanici Fennici, 40: 283-286.Cho, J, and others (2007). "Hawaiian Kalo, Past and Future", University of HawaiiCooperative Extension Service Bulletin, SA-1.Colocasia Encyclopedia of Life. www.eol.org

Colocasia Floridata. www.floridata.com/ref/c/colo_esc.cfmColocasia International Plant Names Index. www.ipni.orgLong, C., and K. Liu, (2001). "Colocasia lihengiae (Araceae: Colocasieae), a new speciesfrom Yunnan, China", Bot. Bull. Acad. Sin, 42: 313-317Misrta, R.S., Nedunchezhiyan, M., Suja, G. (2005), Commercially cultivated ediblearoids in India, Aroideana 28: 174-190Tao, Y., Heng, L., ZaiFu, X., (2004), Colocasia menglaensis (Araceae), a new speciesfrom southern Yunnan China, Ann. Bot. Fennici, 41(3): 223-226Whitney, Leo D., Bowers, F.A.I., Takahashi, M., (1939), Taro Varieties in Hawaii,Hawaii agricultural Experiment Station Bulletin no. 84Yoshino, H. (1999), Phylogenetic general review of Colocasia and Alocasia based on the

polymorphism of DNA and isozyme

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Colocasia - Elephant Ears for the Garden