Elephant Tears Plant

A robust grower for a garden with shade or filtered light.

Elephant tears plant. Can also be grown in a terrarium while a young plant then moved outdoors or into a container. The elephant ear plant rarely flowers according to the university of florida. When flowers are produced green yellow spathes appear in summer. Elephant ear plants known as colocasia and alocasia lend an exotic appeal to landscapes and indoor spaces.

Some are perennials in the lower part of the middle south. The bush has thick succulent brown stems with small tender green leaves that resemble a diminutive jade plant. As a wetland plant in the wild elephant ear plants like a lot of water. As far as how deep to plant elephant ear bulbs you should plant tubers fairly close to the soil s surface perhaps two to four inches.

They like the soil to be relatively dry in winter. Elephant bush plant may get 6 to 20 feet 2 6 m tall in habitat where it is a favorite food of elephants. Some types such as colocasia esculenta can be potted in shallow water submerged during the summer around the edges of a pond for instance. Dig a hole so that the top of the bulb is 4 inches deeper than the soil line.

Overwatering is the primary cause of failure in elephant bushes because it robs the plants of oxygen and invites fungal rot disease. Plant elephant ear bulbs 2 4 feet apart. Planting elephant ear bulbs indoors approximately eight weeks prior to the last frost date is also acceptable. If not in standing water mulching may lend a helping hand.

The leaves of the overwatered plant become swollen and discolored. The flower stem is shorter than the leaf stalk and is usually overshadowed by the showy leaves. Plant so the growing tip is up. Elephant ears are heavy feeders.

Tubers may be started inside 6 8 weeks before all danger of frost has passed. This makes them a good choice for wet areas where gardeners usually have trouble finding suitable plants. Most elephant s ears are perennials and will come back every summer in the lower coastal and tropical south. How to take care of an elephant ear plant.

In the home interior it is much more likely to remain just a few feet tall. Cover with 4 inches of soil. To grow these stunning plants plant the bulbs in the early spring with the right soil conditions. Plant usually stays under three feet tall with leaves one foot long and six inches wide.

Harden off elephant ear plants for about a week prior to placing them outdoors. Striking elephant ear with a mosaic pattern of green cream and yellow on its foliage. Care for them properly with frequent watering and fertilizing to watch them flourish.