Elephant Ears

Elephant Ears are a tuberous, stemless, frost-tender perennial which typically grows 3-6′ tall and as wide. As the common name suggests, each leaf resembles an elephant’s ear. It is primarily a foliage plant with huge, heart-shaped, conspicuously-veined, downward-pointing, shield-shaped leaves (to 2′ long) on long slender stems. Lends a large tropical look to gardens, water margins, and large containers. Excellent as a specimen or in groups. Plants produce prodigious amounts of growth and appreciate regular fertilization during the growing season.

Plant Details +

Botanical Colocasia
Common Name Elephant Ears
Family Araceae
Height 36-60"
Spacing 3'
Hardiness 8-10; Annuals in 2-7
Exposure Full sun to partial shade
Foliage Very large, green
Flower None
Bloomtime Summer

Planting/Care Instructions +

Planting Instructions: Plant Elephant Ears bulb about 3" deep in well-drained soil. Plant in the spring, after the ground, warms to about 50ยบ F. Best grown in fertile, humusy, organically rich, medium wet to wet soils in full sun to part shade. Full sun generally brings out the best leaf color for this cultivar. However, in the hot summers of the south, plants appear to do best in part shade, particularly with some light afternoon shade. When growing plants in garden soils, provide regular moisture, especially during dry summer periods, and do not allow soils to dry out. Plants may also be grown as pond marginals in up to 6" of standing water. Bulbs should be dug up in fall after the first frost and then overwintered in a cool dry place (set in dry peat or wood shavings) where temperatures do not dip below 45 degrees F, in somewhat the same manner as done for canna.