Colocasia Species, Black Taro, Black Stem Elephant Ear, Violet Stemmed Taro
Colocasia antiquorum
| Family: | Araceae (a-RAY-see-ee) (Info) |
| Genus: | Colocasia (kol-oh-KAY-see-uh) (Info) |
| Species: | antiquorum (an-ti-KWOR-um) (Info) |
| Synonym: | Colocasia fontanesii |
| Synonym: | Colocasia gaoligongensis |
| Synonym: | Colocasia gongii |
| Synonym: | Colocasia lihengiae |
| Synonym: | Colocasia tonoimo |
Category:
Bulbs
Ponds and Aquatics
Tropicals and Tender Perennials
Water Requirements:
Requires consistently moist soil; do not let dry out between waterings
Very high moisture needs; suitable for bogs and water gardens
Sun Exposure:
Light Shade
Foliage:
Herbaceous
Textured
This plant is resistant to deer
Foliage Color:
Height:
6-8 ft. (1.8-2.4 m)
Spacing:
15-18 in. (38-45 cm)
18-24 in. (45-60 cm)
24-36 in. (60-90 cm)
Hardiness:
USDA Zone 7b: to -14.9 °C (5 °F)
USDA Zone 8a: to -12.2 °C (10 °F)
USDA Zone 8b: to -9.4 °C (15 °F)
USDA Zone 9a: to -6.6 °C (20 °F)
USDA Zone 9b: to -3.8 °C (25 °F)
USDA Zone 10a: to -1.1 °C (30 °F)
USDA Zone 10b: to 1.7 °C (35 °F)
USDA Zone 11: above 4.5 °C (40 °F)
Where to Grow:
Can be grown as an annual
Danger:
Parts of plant are poisonous if ingested
Bloom Color:
Bright Yellow
Bloom Characteristics:
Bloom Size:
Bloom Time:
Late Spring/Early Summer
Mid Summer
Late Summer/Early Fall
Blooms repeatedly
Other details:
Soil pH requirements:
5.6 to 6.0 (acidic)
6.1 to 6.5 (mildly acidic)
6.6 to 7.5 (neutral)
Patent Information:
Non-patented
Propagation Methods:
By dividing rhizomes, tubers, corms or bulbs (including offsets)
Seed Collecting:
Regional
This plant is said to grow outdoors in the following regions:
Tuskegee, Alabama
Vincent, Alabama
Conway, Arkansas
Brea, California
Clayton, California
Fairfield, California
Hayward, California
Paradise, California
Salinas, California
San Diego, California
San Francisco, California
San Jose, California
San Leandro, California
Van Nuys, California
Gainesville, Florida
Hollywood, Florida
Saint Petersburg, Florida
Tampa, Florida
Honomu, Hawaii
Moline, Illinois
Hattiesburg, Mississippi
Emerald Isle, North Carolina
Raleigh, North Carolina
Cincinnati, Ohio
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Vieques, Puerto Rico
Columbia, South Carolina
Ladys Island, South Carolina
Prosperity, South Carolina
Sumter, South Carolina
Desoto, Texas
Houston, Texas
La Porte, Texas
Mansfield, Texas
Pflugerville, Texas
San Antonio, Texas
Renton, Washington
White Center, Washington
show allGardeners' Notes:
| Rating | Content |
|---|---|
| Positive | On Sep 15, 2008, weatherguesser from Battle Ground, WA (Zone 8b) wrote: This has been a banner year for all of my elephant ears, but particularly the black stem -- in early spring it spawned an offshoot that's now nearly as large as the parent plant, and just yesterday (September 14) I noticed another shoot coming up about 20 inches away. The original plant also had several blooms this year. This is a very attractive plant, pretty care-free (basically all I've done is water it, feed it occasionally, and pull off the dead leaves), and a real asset to the garden. |
| Positive | On Dec 1, 2004, foodiesleuth from Honomu, HI (Zone 11) wrote: Our black taro has done extremely well and we mix it into our landscaping. It does not necessarily have to live in wet, boggy areas. We have lots of keiki (baby) plants coming up in other areas as volunteers. I'm posting a photo of our black taro. |
| Positive | On Oct 23, 2004, snookums from Moline, IL wrote: I'm from Zone 5, and my Black Stem was huge, and a great conversation plant. It had many babies. For my zone I cut it back to where the last leaf is just read to unfold. Removed the side shoots and just pot up and overwinter it in my basement, giving them enough water to live until spring. After danger of frost, they go back outside again. |
| Positive | On Oct 10, 2004, TXMel from Fort Worth, TX (Zone 7b) wrote: We have this Taro growing in our pond. Well, it used to grow in our waterfall, then it took over. What creeped outside the falls grew into the surrounding soil and did well. It overwintered fine, and came back this year with no problems. I even dug several up and transplanted them around in different areas as well as giving some to family out of state. All are doing well, growing in the soil, in our heat. We love the tropical look that they give, and how carefree they are! |
| Positive | On Aug 31, 2002, Terry from Murfreesboro, TN (Zone 7a) wrote: Has been a nice addition to my bog garden this year. Not quite as robust-growing as the plain green Taro, but the stem color is interesting. |
