How to grow elephant ear
Colocasia esculenta
When to plant elephant ear
Start elephant ear bulbs indoors in early spring (University of Wisconsin: pot up in March), then plant outside once the weather warms, usually late May or early June. These frost-tender plants are dug, dried, and stored like cannas or dahlias after frost kills the foliage in cold zones.
Elephant Ear is timed by season rather than your frost dates, so the planting calendar does not generate ZIP-specific dates for it. Check the cited sources below to fine-tune for your area.
Growing conditions
- Lifecycle
- Perennial
- Sun
- Partial sun
Common problems
- leaf scorch
- tuber rot
Sources
- University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension, Wisconsin Horticulture: Elephant Ears (Colocasia, Alocasia, and Xanthosoma)
- NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox: Colocasia esculenta (Dasheen, Elephant Ears, Green Taro, Taro)
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