Elephant’s ear adds tropical flair to landscape – Kearney Hub

The BIG, the BOLD, the BEAUTIFUL! Sounds like a soap opera title, doesnt it? These powerful adjectives also describe a breathtaking vegetative plant that fascinates me. The plant is Colocasia esculenta, more commonly called elephants ear. The leaves of this plant are interestingly shaped and huge. Because the leaves are large and closely resemble the ears of an elephant, I can certainly see how its common name was derived. The plant grows from a bulblike structure called a corm. In warmer climates, elephants ear grows as a perennial. Here in Nebraska, the plant is grown as an annual. Unless the corms are lifted in the fall and stored indoors for the winter, they will freeze and die. This plants uniqueness is similar to that of cannas and caladiums, all of which add a tropical flair to the landscape.

For many years, Rita and I have grown Colocasia esculenta. This year we planted corms directly into the soil in shady areas near our deck. We also planted some in planters. A great companion plant to grow with elephants ear is caladium. The leaf shape of both elephants ear and caladium are very similar and together they create a striking contrast.

Elephants ear prefers wetland planting. In USDA Zones 9 through 11, it grows almost as a perennial evergreen. It performs best in partial shade with slightly acidic, moist soil, rich in organic material. Under these conditions, elephants ear is a fast grower.

Its leaves are usually heart-shaped, reaching 2-3 feet in length and 1-2 feet

The BIG, the BOLD, the BEAUTIFUL! Sounds like a soap opera title, doesnt it? These powerful adjectives also describe a breathtaking vegetative plant that fascinates me. The plant is Colocasia esculenta, more commonly called elephants ear. The leaves of this plant are interestingly shaped and huge. Because the leaves are large and closely resemble the ears of an elephant, I can certainly see how its common name was derived. The plant grows from a bulblike structure called a corm. In warmer climates, elephants ear grows as a perennial. Here in Nebraska, the plant is grown as an annual. Unless the corms are lifted in the fall and stored indoors for the winter, they will freeze and die. This plants uniqueness is similar to that of cannas and caladiums, all of which add a tropical flair to the landscape.

For many years, Rita and I have grown Colocasia esculenta. This year we planted corms directly into the soil in shady areas near our deck. We also planted some in planters. A great companion plant to grow with elephants ear is caladium. The leaf shape of both elephants ear and caladium are very similar and together they create a striking contrast.

Elephants ear prefers wetland planting. In USDA Zones 9 through 11, it grows almost as a perennial evergreen. It performs best in partial shade with slightly acidic, moist soil, rich in organic material. Under these conditions, elephants ear is a fast grower.

Its leaves are usually heart-shaped, reaching 2-3 feet in length and 1-2 feet in width. The leaves are attached to thick, stalk-like stems nearly 2-3 feet tall. Although the plants are capable of blooming, never have I seen ours bloom.

Geography matters. A plant that spreads aggressively and is declared invasive in one region may be perfectly well behaved in another. For example, elephants ear is regarded as an invasive exotic throughout much of Florida. There, it displaces native plant species. Elephants ear forms dense stands along lakes and rivers where it completely crowds out native plant species. Since elephants ear is only hardy in Zones 9 through 11, it is doubtful that it will ever be listed as a noxious or invasive plant in Nebraska.

In many parts of the tropical world, the leaves and corms of elephants ear are cooked and eaten. Although I have never eaten the leaves of elephants ear, I have read that the taste of cooked leaves is similar to that of spinach. Cooked corms have a light mealy texture and a flavor somewhat like potatoes. They can be roasted, fried, boiled, grated or mashed. Poi is a starchy paste-like food product made from fermented elephants ear corms and is a staple in Hawaii, Tahiti and other Pacific islands. By the way, all parts of elephants ear contain the acrid compound calcium oxalate that can cause a stomachache if ingested without cooking.

It is doubtful that we will be eating our elephants ear plant, but I can assure you we are delighted to watch them grow. In fact, each year after the first frost, we dig and lift our plants and save the corms for the next season.

It is too late to plant elephants ear outdoors for this year, but when making plans for next season, I urge you to try Colocasia esculenta. The BIG, the BOLD, the BEAUTIFUL are the best ways I know how to describe this breathtaking plant!

Yard and Garden is provided by University of Nebraska Extension Buffalo County. It is written by horticulture aide Ted Griess of Minden. Questions can be directed to him by sending email to tgriess2@unl.edu or calling the Buffalo County Extension Office at 236-1235.

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Elephant's ear adds tropical flair to landscape - Kearney Hub