Product Overview
Green Taro (Colocasia esculenta) shallow water pond plant
Taro is one of the oldest cultivated food crops with the roots of the plant being cooked into poi. Green Taro is a large, showy, plant with heart-shaped, dark green leaves, and can grow to 4+' tall with leaves up to 24". It is also known as elephant ears.
Green taro may be grown in shallow water, along streambeds, and even in the regular garden! It tolerates lower light levels, so may be overwintered in the house beside a very sunny window --just be sure to water sparingly, as you would a regular house plant, as in lower light levels too much water creates stagnant soil conditions.
Hardiness Zone: 8-11
Planting Container: We recommend a 10" x 6" fabric pot to grow a regular sized plant, or a 12.5" x 7" or 15" x 6" fabric pot to grow a specimen sized plant. In colder climates, a 10" x 6" pot will be easier to move inside for winter, but you won't get as large a plant. Click on any fabric pot link to read about why fabric pots work better than hard plastic pots!
Light Requirements: full sun to part shade
Height: 2' to 4' - Spread: 12" to 24" Wide
Water Depth: Moist soil or water up to 1" deep (Maximum water depth is for mature bog plants)
FERTILIZING: For best health and growth, we recommend fertilizing regularly (unless using the plants in a plant filtration system!). Use Pondtabbs 20 count, 60 count, or 300 count for fast release, or Aquascape 6 count or 12 count capsules for slow release (once a year) fertilizing. Aquascape is preferred for low maintenance, but Pondtabbs are useful in Spring when Aquascape is slow to start in low temperatures. Pondtabbs are also useful for a quick extra nutrient push for extra bloom, and for mid-summer fertilizing of a new plant (we don't recommend using slow release fertilizer in mid-summer or later in cold climates, as plants should run out of fertilizer at the end of the year to encourage dormancy in cold climates).
Plants are shipped bare root or in starter pots, and will require planting upon arrival. For in depth planting and care instructions visit our Planting and Care Instructions for Shallow Water and Bog Plants.
For information on using plants for pond filtration, please read our blog on this topic!
THESE PLANTS CANNOT BE SHIPPED TO HI or PR - KNOW YOUR STATE LAWS.
For planting instructions see our: Planting Instructions for Bog Plants Page.
