How To Care For Elephant Ear Plants – I live in a cabin in Messiah Village and except for baskets and a few perennials, I’ve become an indoor gardener (mostly African violets, philodendra, lots of floor plants, etc.) and I bought things after Christmas. Also called “elephant ear” or Alocasia. It comes with houseplants, But my research shows that it is an outdoor plant. Can I keep it as a houseplant? If I plant it outside, do I have to bring it in every fall?
A: Alocasia (a.k.a. elephant ear or African mask plant) is a large-leaved tropical plant commonly grown as an outdoor summer plant around here. However, It can be grown indoors or used as a houseplant in colder climates and also works as a potted plant that can be moved outside in the summer.
How To Care For Elephant Ear Plants
Although the leaves aren’t quite as large in pots as they are when grown in the ground, alocasia is still an impressive specimen.
Container Planted Or In The Ground, Elephant Ear Plants Are A Focal Point
A plant grows from a bulb. To grow as a houseplant, start with a large pot (14 to 18 inches is ideal), fill it three-quarters full with light potting mix, and plant the bulb. Plant the root portion about 8 feet below. inches deep.
The plant grows in moderate light, but a bright spot is fine. If you have a bright window in direct sunlight and notice white or brown discoloration around the edges of the leaves, move them to a slightly darker area.
If something goes wrong, it’s too much water. Do not use heavy clay pots. extra perlite; Consider lightening what you use with some coarse sand or coir.
If using a non-perforated pot, be careful not to overwater the soil so that it becomes soggy. Otherwise, place a plate under the pot with drainage holes to keep your carpet from getting wet. The goal is to keep the soil constantly moist but not dry.
Growing Elephant Ears — The Forest Flower
Another problem you may encounter is that your alocasia will likely try to go dormant indoors at the end of the growing season. In its native environment, The plant dies and “rests” for several months before starting a new cycle.
If the plant dies in your situation, cut off the dead leaves and stop watering. Wait 8 or 10 weeks and water again to stimulate new growth. If it’s too big for your pot, it’s time to add fresh soil and/or dig and divide the bulb.
For outdoor cultivation; If frost kills the foliage, plant the bulb in mid-May at a depth of 8 to 10 inches in sand or peat for winter storage.
Be aware if pets or children visit – alocasia is poisonous if eaten. It contains high levels of oxalates, and oral It can cause burning of the tongue and lips as well as vomiting and difficulty swallowing.
Elephant Ear Care Instructions
When you purchase a product or sign up for an account through one of the links on our site; We are available for a fee.) provides a bold tropical effect in almost any landscape situation. In fact, These plants are often grown for their large, tropical-shaped leaves reminiscent of elephant ears. Read on to learn more about how to care for an elephant ear plant.
Commonly used for elephant ears in the garden. These plants come in different colors and sizes. Elephant ear plants are used as background plants. ground covers, or margins; especially tanks, It can be used along paths or on patios. But their most common use is as an accent or focal point. Many are well adapted to growing in containers.
Growing elephant ear plants is easy. Most of these plants are fertile; They like moist soil and can grow in full sun, but they generally prefer partial shade. Once frost or freezing temperatures stop in your area, you can place the eggs directly outside. Plant the tubers about 2 to 3 inches (5-8 cm) deep.
It is acceptable to plant elephant ear bulbs about eight weeks before the last frost date. When planting in pots, use rich organic soil and plant at the same depth. Allow the elephant ear plants to harden off for about a week before going outside.
Indoor Elephant Ear Plant Care Guide
Once established, elephant ears require little attention. in the summer Plants, especially those growing in containers, can be watered regularly. Although absolutely not necessary, You may want to periodically apply a slow-release fertilizer to the soil.
Elephant ears cannot survive outside in the winter. Freezing temperatures kill leaves and damage eggs. Therefore, during severe cold winters (like northern regions), plants should be dug up and kept indoors.
After the first frost in your area, cut the leaves back to about two inches (5 cm) and dig the plants well. Allow the eggs to dry for a day or two and place them in peat or shavings. Store in a cool, dark place like a basement or crawlspace. Container plants can be moved indoors or overwintered in a basement or protected balcony. As a member of Amazon affiliate and other affiliate programs, we receive a small commission from a qualifying purchase made through our affiliate link. Read our full affiliate disclosure for more information.
The Elephant Ear plant makes a wonderful indoor or outdoor plant. Elephant Ears plants are evergreen tropical shrubs found in three different genera.
Alocasia Bulbs For Sale Online
The genus Alocasia is native to South Asia. Malaysia Native to Australia and the Pacific Islands. Xanthosoma genus Xanthosoma is native to the tropical regions of the Americas.
These deciduous shrubs grow on tall, elegant stems with large bow or heart-shaped leaves two to three feet long.
All three generations of elephant ear trees need a large area to show themselves. But the basil plant. They can be grown outdoors as patio plants.
Elephant ears are beautiful around the lake and look like wet conditions. They require a lot of space and can easily get out of hand in hot tropical climates. If your elephant ear plant is happy and well established, it can spread and become invasive.
Elephant Ear: Plant Care & Growing Guide
Keep Colocasias and alocasias away from strong winds to avoid blowing the large leaves. The windless hideaways are beautiful to view these beauties.
Plants with large leaves are suitable for large base plants. Elephant ears are native to tropical rainforests. They like heat and humidity and evenly moist soil.
However, they need shelter from strong direct sunlight. Give elephant ears light and partial shade to prevent leaf scorch and discoloration.
The elephant ear plant grows from the nails. Or in colder climates, after all danger of frost has passed, you can buy a small plant and plant it in the spring.
Dramatic Elephant Ear Plants Are Plenty Tough Enough For North Texas
Elephant ear plants are cold tolerant. However, These tropical beauties can be grown every year in cool climates. They thrive in temperate gardens with moist soil and plenty of moisture.
Elephant ears are not grown seasonally because they do not reach full size when grown as a seasonal plant. But they still make an attractive foliage plant in your yard for several months into the growing season.
As previously mentioned, they grow best when planted in partial shade in moist soil. But if your summer day isn’t hot (mid 70’s F), they will last all day. If you have dry summer weather, you may need to water it more often.
Freezing winter temperatures at the end of the growing season can kill the plant. Or you can dig up the cuttings and save them for replanting in the growing season.
How To Grow Elephant Ear
In colder climates, elephant ears can be grown outside as a container plant during the summer and brought inside when temperatures drop below 50 degrees Fahrenheit.
Elephant ear trees bloom. It has a stalk with a spadix (seed head) covered with a leaf called a spathe. These flowers resemble the Peace Lily.
The plant usually flowers from late spring to early fall when conditions are right. So open elephant ears are a sign of happiness.
However, the flowers are not pretentious. The leaves of the elephant ear are large enough to reach the flowers. That’s why most people ignore or remove the flowers, so the plant’s energy is allocated to the more beautiful leaves.
Elephant Ear Plant Care Tips — Ashley Hosmer
Most of your local garden stores carry elephant ear plants. Your local garden stores carry some elephant ear plants that are great options for planting in your outdoor garden zone or for all indoor garden zones.
If you are looking for different species or want to explore the different elephant ear plants available, shop on ETSY. ETSY has many small gardens and nurseries that sell plants and even ship them safely to you.
A variety of upright alocasia;
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