Colocasia esculenta 'Illustris' (Imperial taro, Elephants ear)

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Plant description

Colocasia 'Illustris' is a tender herbaceous perennial with beautiful large dark green, arrow shaped leaves, with contrasting lighter veins. It likes a sunny to partly shaded position, and does best in a moist soil with a high organic content. Brighter light will result in deeper colouring. Tolerates a wet soil, so is good for pond plantings and rain gardens. It is frost tender, but in cooler areas it be grown in a container and moved to a sheltered position in winter. It grows from an underground rhizome or tuber, so can resprout if the foliage is damaged by cold or dryness, and will form a clump. A great foliage contrast plant, and gives a tropical feel to the garden.

Propagation is by division of the rhizomes.

All parts of the plant are poisonous.

Colocasia esculenta 'Illustris' is also known as Colocasia antiquorum.

Additional plant information

Flowers

Flower colour: cream
Flowering season: not specified

Plant size

Maximum height: 1.2 metres
Minimum height: 0.6 metres

Maximum width: 0.5 metres
Minimum width: not specified

Sunlight, frost & salt tolerance

This plant will tolerate full or partial sunlight.
Light frost tolerance.
Plant is not salt tolerant.

Fauna attracting?

Not specified.

Climate

This plant species will grow in the following climates: temperate, subtropical, tropical.

Soil types & conditions

Loam: wet, moist.

Clay: moist.

Sand: wet, moist.

Soil pH: 5.5-7.5

Miscellaneous information

Planting season: Any.

Types of fertiliser: Good general purpose fertiliser.

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