How To Grow And Care For Elephant Ear Plants

Elephant Ear Care

Elephant ears grow from tubers. Some clump, while others spread on runners along the ground. If you are worried about elephant ears going rogue in your yard, choose clumpers instead of runners or grow runners in pots. Elephant ears love water, sunshine, and fertilizer. Plant tubers or transplant container-grown plants into soil amended with organic matter such as chopped leaves, peat, or composted manure. Note that Wild taro (C. esculenta) has become invasive in some areas of the Southeast and isn’t recommended for planting in Florida.

Light

Most elephant ears will thrive in full sun (at least 6 hours of direct sunlight per day) or part sun (2 to 6 hours of direct sunlight). You can veer toward planting in light shade with a couple of hours of direct sunlight if you live in a very hot or dry climate.

Soil

Elephant ears prefer moist, rich, fertile soil. Mix in plenty of organic matter such as chopped leaves, peat, or composted manure. They prefer loamy soil but can tolerate other types. Colocasia do well in wet soil during the growing season and can grow on the margins of ponds.

Water

Elephant ears do best when their soil is kept moist. Generally, the more you water and feed them, the more they grow. They are not aquatic plants, though, and their roots should not be completely submerged in water. Alocasia like moist soil but tend to require better drainage. Elephant ears prefer drier soil in winter, so reduce watering when they go dormant. The plants may not be as winter hardy in wet soil.

Temperature And Humidity

Elephant ears drink up humidity. Although the foliage dies back after a freeze, the tender perennials will come back every summer in the Lower, Coastal, and Tropical South. Some varieties are perennial in the lower part of the Middle South (Zone 7b). If gardening any farther north than that, lift tubers before the first frost and store them in a cool, dry place over the winter months. Tubers can be replanted in spring after the soil warms to 65°F.

Fertilizer

These plants have big appetites, so feed regularly with Dynamite Organic All-Purpose (10-2-8) or Espoma Plant-tone (5-3-3) for the lushest growth.

Types of Elephant Ears

Elephant ears are prized for their foliage, not flowers, with varieties wielding huge leaves, deep red stems, ruffled “ears,” or splashes of contrasting color. You can usually discern which species you are getting by whether the leaves point down (Colocasia spp.) or up (Alocasia spp., which are sometimes called upright elephant ears for this reason). Alocasia leaves are shiny, while Colocasia foliage can be matte or glossy. Xanthosoma grow from corms and have large, arrow-shaped leaves that point down. Here are some popular cultivars; all are winter hardy in Zones 8 to 12 unless otherwise indicated:

• C. esculenta ‘Black Magic’: Very deep purple, almost black leaves; grows to 6 feet tall and wide
• C. esculenta ‘Mojito’: Green leaves with black and purple splotches; grows to 5 feet tall and wide
• C. gigantea ‘Thailand Giant Strain’: Enormous green leaves; can grow to 4 to 6 feet long; plant commonly grows 10 feet tall
• C. esculenta ‘Black Coral’: Dark purple, glossy, slightly puckered leaves; grows to 4 feet tall and 3 feet wide
• C. esculenta ‘Royal Hawaiian Aloha’: Glossy, dark olive green leaves with spring green veins; grows to 4 feet tall and 3 feet wide; hardy to Zone 7b
• C. esculenta ‘Coffee Cups’: Very cupped, upright, glossy green leaves with purple veins and stems; plants fill with water in the rain and then spill over; grows 5 to 6 feet tall and slightly less wide
• A. × amazonica: Sometimes called African Mask; hybrid with leathery, wavy-edged, dark bronze-green leaves with thick white veins; often sold as a houseplant but can be grown outdoors in part shade or filtered sun, but is only hardy in frost-free climates; grows to 2 feet tall
• A. ‘Frydek’: Hybrid with dark, velvety green, heart-shaped leaves with contrasting white veins; grows to 3 feet tall and wide; hardy to Zone 9
• A. sarawakensis ‘Yucatan Princess’: A large plant that can grow to 4 to 8 feet tall and 6 feet wide; gray-green leaves with reddish undersides and reddish-brown stems; hardy to Zone 9
• X. ‘Lime Zinger’: Grows 3 to 4 feet tall with leaves that reach 18 inches long; chartreuse or lime green arrow-shaped leaves

Where To Buy

Visit your local nursery for a selection of elephant ears to transplant into your garden. You can also check out Tony Avent’s Plant Delights Nursery in Raleigh, North Carolina, for a big assortment of elephant ears. Or visit Just Fruits and Exotics, Florida Hill Nursery, and Logee’s Plants for Home and Garden.

Pruning

Elephant ears can be pruned to keep them healthy. Remove yellowing or dying leaves by cutting them off at the bottom of the stem with a sharp knife. Leaves may droop as they age. Drooping leaves may also be cut off. Cut the plant back once the foliage has turned brown and died.

Propagating Elephant Ears

Elephant ears can be grown from seed, but it’s not recommended because most are cultivars that won’t produce plants that are identical to the parent. They are best propagated by division. The best time to do this is when the plants first begin emerging from the soil in spring, but you can also divide plants in fall when you are removing tubers to overwinter. Follow these steps to propagate your elephant ear:

1. Identify a large, healthy clump. Dig around the clump carefully to avoid damaging the corms.
2. Shake off excess soil. Gently pull the corms apart by hand. If they are fused together, use a sharp, sterile knife to cut them apart.
3. Follow the instructions under “Overwintering” for cool-weather storage. For replanting, bury each corm 4 to 6 inches below the surface in rich, loosened soil.

Potting And Repotting Elephant Ears

Elephant ears make beautiful potted plants and have the advantage of being easily moved to better light exposure or a warmer environment. Here’s how to pot your plants:

1. If you have purchased a plant, choose a container that is at least 2 inches wider in diameter than the nursery pot. For tubers, choose a pot between 12 and 18 inches in diameter, depending on whether you have a larger or smaller cultivar. A glazed or plastic container is best for retaining moisture. The pot should have a drainage hole.
2. Fill containers with organically rich, high-quality potting soil with good drainage (not too dense or heavy). Plants should be placed right at soil level. Tubers should be buried 4 inches below the soil level with the root end pointed down.
3. Water well, and place in a warm, sunny spot. If you are starting a tuber indoors, you can move it outside once temperatures remain above 65°F.

Create A Focal Point

Grow elephant ears en masse for a big show of texture and color, or use one as a specimen for a striking accent. They thrive in big pots and will work in water gardens if placed in partially submerged containers. Elephant ears mix well with each other and also combine beautifully with the flashy foliage of other tropicals such as bananas, cannas, and crinums. For a colorful summer combo, try this container recipe in a big pot: Use chocolate leaves of ‘Puckered Up’ elephant ear as the thriller, the pink flowers of ‘Fanfare Orchid’ impatiens as the filler, and the chartreuse foliage of ‘Margarita’ sweet potato vine as a spiller.

Overwintering

Depending on the variety you purchased and the climate you live in, you may be able to overwinter an elephant ear in the ground, in your garage, or in a pot indoors. Follow these guidelines to overwinter your plant:

• Overwintering in the ground: In Zones 7b to 10 for Colocasia or Zones 9 or 10 for Alocasia, cover your plants with 3 to 6 inches of mulch in fall. After a killing frost, you can cut back brown stems to a few inches above ground. Wear gloves, as the calcium oxalate crystals in the leaves can irritate the skin. Remove excess mulch once soil temperatures have warmed to 65°F.
• Storing tubers: Dig up once temperatures drop below 40°F or after the first frost; subjecting the plant to multiple frosts could kill the tubers. Remove soil from roots, and separate bulbs. Cut the stems well above the tubers to remove dying growth. Place tubers in a dry container like a cardboard box, and set in a cool room that stays above freezing, like a garage. This works best in a dry, dark space that is usually around 50°F.
• Bringing plants indoors: If you have the space, you can transport your elephant ear inside for the winter. Pot your plant in high-quality, well-draining soil, and set in a warm room in bright, indirect light. Water regularly, but don’t allow the soil to become soggy.

Common Pests And Plant Diseases

Elephant ears aren’t prone to many insect problems. Spider mites can be controlled by spraying them away with a strong stream of water and using insecticidal soap. For a thrip infestation, you should also remove any tall, grassy weeds in the area. Elephant ears can be infected with corm rot and root rot from water mold or fungi in soils with poor drainage, especially during winter. The plant will weaken and eventually die. Damaging tubers when you dig them up can also lead to corm rot.

How To Get Elephant Ears To Bloom

Some gardeners might be surprised to hear that elephant ears bloom because it happens so infrequently. The blooms consist of a spath, or white or yellow folded bract surrounding a fleshy flower spike. The flowers look much like peace lilies, which are in the same plant family. Elephant ears must reach maturity first, which could take 3 or more years in the ground. Your plants might never bloom, but if they do, it usually happens in spring.

Common Problems With Elephant Ears

Any problems encountered growing elephant ear plants are usually caused by care or environment. They like moist environments so they are susceptible to fungal infections and root rot. Here’s what to look for:

Leaves Turning Yellow

Yellow leaves indicate the plant needs a care adjustment. They can be caused by too much or too little sun, water, or fertilizer. Check to see if any of these need to be corrected. Too much water can cause root rot. The leaves also turn yellow when the plant goes dormant, so pay attention to where the plant is in its growing season.

Drooping Leaves

Elephant ear plants with drooping leaves are likely not getting enough sun, too much or too little water, or not enough fertilizer. Check the plant’s roots to see if they are brown and mushy to determine if it is being overwatered. Clean the root ball, and replant in fresh, dry soil. If the plant looks healthy, the leaves might be drooping because they are so large. Plant stakes can be used to support heavy leaves if needed.