Bestseller
IllustrationThe first image is a studio illustration showing the plant and pot shape. The other photograph is of our own stock at the nursery — those are what the plant actually looks like on the bench.
Indoor Plants
Elephant Ear
Colocasia esculenta
Colocasia leaves are the largest of anything we grow — a well-fed plant in a big pot will produce leaves 60 cm across on stems over a metre tall. In a shaded courtyard or beside a water feature the effect is close to tropical.
Unlike most plants on this site, elephant ear genuinely likes wet feet. Stand the pot in a saucer of water through summer and it will grow faster than you expect. It dies back in cold weather and returns from the corm in spring.
- Leaves up to 60 cm across on a well-fed mature plant
- One of the few plants that thrives standing in water
- Dies back in winter and returns from the corm each spring
Rs 1,300for the 12 inch pot
Inclusive of pot and mix. Delivery Rs 350, free over Rs 5,000.
1
4.6(31 reviews) In stock, dispatched in 1–2 working days
Packed by hand
Dispatched in 1–2 working days
7-day guarantee
Replaced or refunded if damaged
Grown by us
Never bought in and resold
At a glance
- Mature size
- 1–1.8 m
- Growth rate
- Very fast in warmth
- Difficulty
- Easy to keep
- Around pets
- Keep away from cats, dogs and small children
Bright shadeCourtyardPoolsideVerandah
How to look after your Elephant Ear
Written for Pakistani conditions — long hot summers, dry winter air, and hard tap water. Follow this rather than advice written for a temperate climate.
- Light
- Bright, filtered light. A metre back from an east or north window is ideal. Direct summer sun through glass will scorch the leaves within days.
- Water
- Wants far more water than any other aroid. Keep the mix constantly wet through summer — standing the pot in a saucer of water is ideal. Reduce sharply once the leaves die back in autumn.
- Humidity
- Prefers 50–60%. In dry Punjab winters, group plants together or stand the pot on a tray of wet pebbles. Misting alone does very little.
- Soil
- Chunky, airy aroid mix — bark, perlite and coco peat. Aroid roots need air as much as they need water; dense garden soil will rot them.
- Feeding
- Balanced liquid feed at half strength every 3 weeks from March to October. Do not feed in December and January.
- Temperature
- 18–30°C. Move away from a direct AC draught, and off cold tile floors below 12°C.
If something goes wrong
Yellow lower leaves
Why it happens: Overwatering — the most common cause by far.
What to do: Let the mix dry to 5 cm depth, then water less often. Check that the drainage hole is not blocked.
Brown, crispy leaf edges
Why it happens: Dry air or salt build-up from tap water.
What to do: Raise humidity, and flush the pot with a large volume of water once a month.
Small new leaves, long bare stem
Why it happens: Not enough light.
What to do: Move closer to a window. Aroids stretch toward light rather than complaining first.
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