Colocasia esculenta - Elephant Ears

Colocasia esculenta, also known as taro, is a large perennial plant that thrives in waterlogged soil. It is also called elephant ear due to its immense leaves. It is extensively cultivated in tropical regions for its edible tuber. This spectacular plant develops long petioles that bear heart-shaped or spear-shaped leaves. With their fresh green colour, slight pleating, and exotic appearance, they are a beautiful addition to water features. Its yellow inflorescence, in the form of a cone called a spathe, reveals its relationship with arums. This stunning tropical plant will thrive in a bright and warm indoor environment, as well as in partially shaded areas in the ground, in the few regions spared by frost.

Undoubtedly originating from India and tropical Asia, Colocasia esculenta spread to tropical regions of South America and Oceania long ago, and more recently to tropical Africa. This rhizomatous perennial plant is a relative of arums and Monstera deliciosa. It belongs to the Araceae family. With a slight tendency to sucker, this herbaceous perennial plant develops from a tuberous rhizome, forming a scaly corm covered with a thick skin. The mature plant forms a large spreading clump that typically measures 1.5m (5ft) in height with an 80cm (32in) diameter at the base. It consists of magnificent peltate foliage that is slightly elongated and heart-shaped. The leaves are light green and distinctively veined with varying shades of blue-grey and tender green. The leaf blade can reach up to 60cm (24in) in length and 40cm (16in) in width, supported by a long violet to brown petiole that sheaths at the base. The leaf surface is water-repellent. As the plant grows, it branches out from the base and produces numerous runner tubers that give rise to vigorous young plants. When an old leaf is removed, two new ones take its place. Flowering occurs on mature plants in the form of yellow spathes, typically in summer.

Colocasia esculenta can be grown in containers and overwintered in a conservatory. It may potentially withstand the mildest Mediterranean-type climates. This lush perennial plant will bring a strongly exotic touch when placed in a partially shaded area, paired with bamboo, cycads, Tetrapanax papyrifera, banana plants, or hibiscus. It will stand out as a focal point in contemporary or exotic settings, whether planted in a large container on a patio or along the edges of a water feature, where it thrives in waterlogged and fertile soil. This voracious plant gets along well with arums (Zantedeschia aethiopica), banana plants, gunnera, and tree ferns, which recall the magnificence of ancient forests. This plant will bring the luxuriance of its native lands to our gardens and urban balconies. It is also a beautiful indoor plant that becomes a centrepiece over time, just like Monstera deliciosa.

Taro is consumed in Africa, China, Polynesia, and several other parts of the world. Its tubers are rich in starch, and its young leaves are eaten like spinach.