Elephant Ear - Great Container Plant

Comments

October 21, 2009 at 8:59 am

(1) Susan Adcox says:

Nice close-up. I like the contrasting colors and the detail. Garden-variety elephant ears are really easy to grow. I also love the African mask elephant ears, but I understand that they are persnickety.

October 21, 2009 at 2:51 pm

(2) Lisa says:

Is this taro, with the eerie black stems? Cool!

October 21, 2009 at 4:07 pm

(3) Sukhmandir Kaur says:

The are very appealing plants. Love the texture and colour.

October 21, 2009 at 9:43 pm

(4) MrBrownThumb @ Chicago Garden says:

I have no luck growing them in containers. In the ground I can grow the heck out of some EEs, but sadly in containers they just sorta look weak.

October 21, 2009 at 10:36 pm

(5) NSGill says:

I’ve had no luck growing them, either, but it is a lovely photo.

October 22, 2009 at 11:00 am

(6) Connie G. says:

I haven’t tried growing them in containers, but when I was a youngster, the entire back porch was shaded by them in the summer – they grew so huge. I am not sure what my Mom’s secret was, but the leaves were large and beautiful.

October 31, 2009 at 10:51 am

(7) Edil says:

Where I live the taro root is cultivated not for its beauty but for its tatefulnes. It is used in many ways and can substitude potatoes in many instances.When I was very young I remember the delicious stews that my mother and grandma prepared with the yautia root-taro root.At that time the yautia cost was very inexpensive and sometimes was given away if you bought something else.It was considered food for the poors or food for pigs.At this moment the taro root is imported from other caribbean contries because it is not cultivated in adecuate cuantities here.
I understand that the taro leaves are eaten in many islands of the caribbean and that they are very tatesty.
When preparing the roots and leaves you must use gloves because some varieties have a very irritating sap.Once it is boiled for awhile it its deactivated and can be eaten safely

October 31, 2009 at 9:48 pm

(8) Kerry says:

Hi Edil – Thanks for your comment. Where do you live?

November 1, 2009 at 11:19 am

(9) Edil says:

I live in Puerto Rico.This is the smallest of the greater antlles.We are part of the USA .
The weather here is completly tropical and up in the mountains during the winter season the temperature can drop to the forthys range.
Up in the mountains-we are a very montanius island- some cold vegetables are grown ,also there are people who have been able to produce aples and peaches.there are a limited comercial grow of strawberries used mostly for local comsumption at luxury hotels on the coast.