Elephant ear likes wet feet
May 19, 2010
Elephant ear (Colocasia), or taro, likes wet feet, and, boy, do I give it to them. With the hose? With the sprinkler system? Nope.
I just stick ’em in the stock-tank pond, where they enjoy a cowboy bath all summer long. My newest, a red-stemmed variety, is cooling its heels on the left, though it’s a little hard to see just yet until it gets growing.
Here it is from the front—lovely! My ‘Black Marble’ taro died over the winter, but I like the contrast of burgundy stems and green leaves on this one.
They really do look like the ears of elephants, don’t they? I’m a sucker for a perfectly descriptive common name.
All material © 2006-2010 by Pam Penick for Digging. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.
Very cool! Mine are happy with all this rain. And they will now live in the part shade shelter of the Pindo Palm, so they will be much happier than last year when they baked in the full sun all summer long and wanted to die each day! Your redstemmed variety is great. Want me to bring you some new black Taros on Saturday?
I just came in from potting up my colocasia tubers in big pots by the pond – as kids in Texas, my sisters and I used the big ears as dress up hats! Love the tropical look even here in Connecticut…
Next project up…we are finishing the stock tank pond…more Colocasia for the danger garden. I love your choice as a replacement!
Me too, and they are among my favorite plants.~~Dee
Lovely! The red stemmed variety is beautiful!
Wet feet…….more like olympic swimmers. Give ’em goggles and they will do the butterfly!!!!!!
I love this plant so much. But until I get a stock tank like you, I’ll enjoy my passion from afar. I simply adore the path you made around the pond, too. Hmm,getting hard work ideas here.
I had them in my window box one year. A totally wrong place for them. They didn’t get as big as you know they can be but I loved the way the sun shone throught the leaves. They looked like stained glass windows.
I was visiting the pond store in preparation for my little pond and saw some gorgeous taro. I do like the new one you’ve added to the stock tank. gail
It is such a novelty to see plants thriving in water. Usually, plants have problems with people who over-water them. I love this plant that is so descriptively named.
I love elephant ears. I’ve had them so tall before that they towered over me. Love this dark beauty you have. I had no idea they loved a boggy set up…