Scientific Name:
Colocasia esculenta
Pronunciation:
kol-oh-KAY-see-uh es-kew-LEN-tuh
Common Name:
taro root, coloyam, elephant's ear
Family Name:
Araceae
Plant Type:
Annual (grown as), Herbaceous perennial
Key ID Features:
Leaves basal, petioles long and dark, blades very large and heart-shaped.
Habit:
Upright
Form:
Vase
Texture:
Very coarse
Mature Height:
0.7 - 1.3m
Mature Spread:
0.6 - 1.0m
Origin:
S.E. Asia / Japan / China
Hardiness Rating:
Zone 8a: (-12 to -9.5 °C)
Exposure:
Part sun/part shade, Filtered shade
Soil/Growing Medium:
Acidic, Bog, Humus rich
Landscape Uses:
Urban agriculture, Waterside planting
Additional Info:
Google. Cultivars shown include may include C. 'Black Ruffles'.
Leaf Morphology:
Form:
Simple
Arrangement:
Basal
Texture/Venation:
Surfaces:
Glabrous
Shapes:
Ovate
Apices:
Acute
Bases:
Cordate, Hastate
Margins:
Entire
Inflorescence Type:
Spadix (& spathe)
Flower Morphology:
Monoecious plant
Number Of Petals:
0
Colour (petals):
Showy, White, Yellow
Flower Time at Peak:
Additional Info:
Flowers usually do not form on cultivated plants.
Fruit Type:
Berry (true)
Fruit Colour:
Green
Fruiting Time:
Bark or Stem Colour:
Organ Modifications:
Corms, Rhizomes
Propagation:
Division - below ground parts
Light Level:
High
Pest Susceptibility:
Mites, Root rot, Virus (Pest resistant, Disease resistant)
Course(s):
- not used (off campus)
Location(s):
- (NCA) Not Currently Available : not used
- (SGL) Sendell Gardens, Langley : in greenhouse