By Bethany Hayes
Elephant ears are a showstopping plant to add to your garden bed ; the foliage makes everyone who sees it stop and do a double - take . It ’s easy to mistake industrial plant with large leave like elephant ears , but they are tropical region native plants . There are different types of elephant ears available for growing in your garden .
Elephant earsoriginate in the United States ’ tropical neighborhood ; you’re able to only arise them out of doors in the ground if you live in USDA zone 10 and 11 . However , anyone can spring up elephant ears in container as houseplant or summer annuals .
Let ’s look at all of the type and specie you could grow !
When you face at all of the different type of elephant ear , you ’ll see a wide-cut range of sizes . Some can be almost 10 substructure magniloquent , but other varieties are only two feet improbable . Some grow well in the shade , whereas some need to go in full sun .
Here are some of the pop types of elephant ears you may grow in your garden .
Colocasia Esculenta
Here are the first elephant ear types that you might regain . Colocasia is aboriginal to the swampy region in Asia , and there are over 200 species of Colocasia . That intend you’re able to find the perfect cultivar for your garden .
Colocasia leaves can reach up to three foot in length and two metrical unit across ; that ’s some big leafage ! These plants display their leaves with the steer pointing downwards . The leaves are center - shaped , and some of these plants can grow up to eight feet marvelous .
Colocasia plants prefer to grow in full sunlight , and they call for coherent moisture . All varieties of Colocasia are hotness lovers , but they do n’t mind a bit of protection from the hot good afternoon sunshine .
Black Magic
If you ’re calculate for a works that attracts tending , go for the Black Magic variety . The leaves are swart , spicy - black foliage . you may set off the leafage by commit counterpoint flowers nearby that are red , orange , or yellow . Those colors make the dreary - inglorious soda .
Colocasia Black Magic plants typically measure three to five invertebrate foot tall by late summer .
Black Stem
When you rise the Black Stem sort , you ’ll observe that the industrial plant has gorgeous , burgundy to black stems that lead to arrow - shaped , teal - blue leaves . In the right term , this diverseness can attain up to seven ft tall in a few month .
If you live in a colder region , Black Stem is best grown in a warm , sheltered location in a container .
Diamond Head
Colocasia Diamond Head produces across-the-board , gloomy - dark leaves that are aerofoil and glossy . They muse the light source , creating a dramatic effect in your garden .
To achieve the comfortably - colorize leaves possible , check that you plant Diamond Head in full sunlight and give ample wet . The mature size is three to four feet tall , and the leaves grow up to two feet full .
Hawaiian Punch
Here is a newer cultivar coming from Hawaii . It has shiny , lime - green folio with dark red vein on the backside with dingy red shank .
Hawaiian Punch reaches three feet tall at full adulthood , so it ’s a smaller size than other varieties . It lick excellent for containers and small space gardening .
Mojito
If you need a variegated elephant pinna plant , you ’ll bang the Colocasia Mojito . This plant has variegate foliage with unique patterns of calamitous - racy hyphen and dots . None of the leave are the same , make it quite an exciting and unique addition to your garden .
Mojito plant reach a mature size of two to three feet marvelous , so they can be grown in containers and small garden . They wo n’t overwhelm your garden bed .
Illustris
Here is a motley with dark-skinned immature , matte leaves that have a purplish - Black person shading . The venous blood vessel and petioles are all lustrous gullible , so it create quite a contrast on each leafage . If you grow Illustris in full sunlight , you’re able to wait the colour to be more intense .
Tea Cup
Here is another Colocasia variety to lend to your garden . Colocasia Tea Cup has lustrous , blue - grey leaf with burgundy costa and stems . The leaves are curved and point upwards , creating a sort of cupful or saucer at the parting ’ base that will pick up water . When full of water , the leaves turn downward and spillage .
Caladium
Caladium is the character of elephant ears you most often find in garden nurseries . These plants are perennial and hardy in USDA zone eight to 11 .
The main difference to jazz about Caladium kind is that this is a littler species . Some of the species only reach two feet in tallness , and some have leaves that are only eight to 12 in in length . Most of these cultivar grow better in fond sunlight .
Pink Symphony
Caladium Pink Symphony has pink and cream splotch leafage with green veins and a point at the end . These are smaller plants with short stem and small leaves . It typically matures at 14 inches improbable and 16 inches wide , so it can be grown in containers .
Pink Symphony is a refinement - loving industrial plant that prefer loamy , well - debilitate grease . They exercise outstanding in shady area or as a garden accent mark .
Iceberg
Here is a Caladium cultivar with emollient and unripe variegated leaves . It ’s not a gravid industrial plant , so it ’s worthy for containers or small gardens . you’re able to place Iceberg in a partly shady area for optimum growth .
Rose Glow
Rose Glow is a intercrossed Caladium cultivar with medium unripe leaves with a smart , pinkish center and white edges around the pinkish center . As the leaf depart to ripen , you ’ll discover more blank development along the cardinal veins , furthering the line against the pink center .
Rose Glow grows good in part shade to fishy areas . It works well as a houseplant with exposure to bright light . Once mature , these works attain up to two feet tall and 14 column inch extensive .
Red Flash
If you desire a smorgasbord of vibrant leaves , Red Flash , often called Angel Wings , has gravid , heart - form , olive - immature leaves with lustrous , red veins and pinkish fleck . subsequently , arum lily - like flower seem in the summertime , but it ’s easy to miss them because these plants typically strain up to three foot tall and two foundation wide .
Red Flash is more sunshine tolerant than other Caladium varieties . you’re able to use it on borders for plash of color or grow them in containers . They also work well as houseplants .
Alocasia
This variety of elephant ears bring on calla lily - like salad days , and the plants typically are six fundament improbable . Alocasia plants have arrow - shape foliage . Many of the leaves have black , bronze , or dark empurpled streaks .
One difference with Alocasia elephant ears is that the crest of the leaves is taper out or up . They also require more well - draining grunge and a piddling shade for optimal growth . Look for a fix that has bright , collateral sunshine and moist soil .
lease ’s look at some Alocasia varieties you’re able to grow .
Amazonica
Often grow as a houseplant , Amazonica is an elephant ear variety with dark green , narrow shape leaves with wavy edges . The leaves can grow up to two feet long , featuring ribs and margins that are creamy - blanched .
Sporadically , the industrial plant will produce yellow flowers that look like genus Calla lilies . The plant life can grow up to three feet tall and grow good in part shade with deep , moist grime at full maturity .
Odora
This salmagundi hit up to five foot marvelous with boat paddle - mold leaves that are as pretty as they are large . Odora is one of the larger growers in the Alocasia family , and they ’re one of the few that can well handle inhuman temperatures in geographical zone 8 .
Growing in the right conditions can lead the plant to grow to monumental sizes . Some can reach up to ten or 15 feet tall . The leaf are thick and durable , and as it obtain bigger , the shank becomes more of a bole .
Macrorrhiza
This variety has stalwart stems and upward - face leave ; you ’ll notice that the leave are unspecific and boat paddle - shaped . It ’s an fantabulous selection for container horticulture or growing near your patio . you could also grow this as a houseplant in the wintertime months .
Xanthosoma
This is the least common type of elephant ears . The plant ask temperatures consistently over 68 ℉ , which means that many places in the United States can not grow these plant . This species is aboriginal to tropic America .
Xanthosoma plants have arrow - mould leave with cosmetic vena , so they ’re a beautiful addition if you may develop them in your region . There are dozens of species , but here are some of the most attractive options .
Lime Zinger
This multifariousness of Xanthosoma grows bright , chartreuse - yellow , heart - shaped leaves that add distinct color to your garden . The plants look like they ’re glow at times . These plants typically reach up to four feet tall , have it away hot , humid summers .
Lindenii
This is one of the most beautiful varieties of Xanthosoma elephant ears you could grow . Lindenii plant maturate up to 20 inches tall with green leaves that have white to silver venous blood vessel throughout . It ’s quite a prominent flora that needs to be kept affectionate at all times .
Violaceum
Sometimes call blue eddo or fateful yautia , this type of elephant ear plants grow large , dark green farewell with purple veins and stems . It ’s one of the few comestible types .
Violaceum plants typically reach five to six feet grandiloquent and broad , so they work in containers or your garden beds .
Final Thoughts
Chances are you did n’t know there were so many dissimilar type of elephant pinna , but there are hundreds ! All of the cultivars can be broken down into one of these four types . Pick the kind that works well for your garden and region , and then you may find the cultivar or species you want to spring up the most .
Learn more about the types of elephant ears:
Are Elephant capitulum Poisonous ?
How to produce elephant ears in containers
How to constitute elephant ear bulbs
