The Gorgeous Heart-Shaped Perennial That Grows Fast And Thrives In Sun Or Shade

It's hard to beat elephant ears for the drama they bring to your landscape with their towering height and huge leaves the size of, well, elephant ears. Elephant ears can be confusing because the genera Colocasia, Alocasia, and Xanthosoma all have plants with this name, but Alocasia and Colocasia are the most common. The Colocasia and Xanthosoma genera are distinguished by leaves that point downward, while Alocasia's leaves are upward-pointing. Whichever elephant ear you choose, you can look forward to a fast-growing plant that can shoot up as tall as 10 feet in sun or shade.

Elephant ears lend a tropical feel to your landscape, and you might feel a little cooler just looking at their enormous shade-providing leaves with their distinctive arrow, heart, or shield shape. Successfully caring for elephant ear plants begins with planting. They most often grow from corms (similar to a bulb), and the best time of year to plant is spring in most areas. Start the corms in containers indoors. After the last frost date, you can put them outdoors in their pots or plant them in soil. Elephant ears can tolerate multiple soil types but prefer moist (sometimes even soggy), nutrient-rich loam. 

Alocasia is hardy in USDA Hardiness Zones 8B through 11, while Colocasia is hardy down to Zone 7. For overwintering and protecting elephant ear bulbs, look to your hardiness zone; you may need to remove them from the soil and store them indoors for the winter. If you leave them in the ground, place mulch on top for extra warmth. Some people also grow elephant ears as annual plants or as indoor houseplants — they come in all sizes.

Certain species of elephant ear are considered invasive in select states — for example, wild taro (Colocasia esculenta) is listed as invasive in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, California, and Alabama, along with arrowleaf elephant's ear (Xanthosoma sagittifolium) in Florida. For this reason, the recommendation for gardeners in these states is to stick to elephant ears in the less-aggressive, 80-species Alocasia genus, though experts caution against growing even Alocasia along the Gulf Coast. The cultivar 'Hilo Beauty' is a popular, more compact Alocasia choice. 

Elephant ear will spread to fill voids in the right conditions, so keep an eye on it. Even noninvasive species can spread excessively. If you live in a warm climate, avoid planting elephant ear in wet areas and natural waterways, and pull up offshoots as needed. One way to control spreading is by dividing elephant ears, so you can place some divided plants in other locations. Another option is to grow your elephant ear in a heavy container at least 18 inches wide. Or, consider choosing a clumping variety rather than one that produces runners.

Pests that may plague elephant ear include spider mites, aphids, and mealybugs. If your elephant ear leaves turn yellow, overwatering, underwatering, or insufficient light may be the culprit. Because of elephant ear's 12- to 36-inch-long leaves, high winds can also be an issue, so outdoor protection may be needed. Note that elephant ears are both toxic and edible; cooking removes the toxin, calcium oxalate.