Colocasia esculenta, commonly called elephant's ear, taro or dashin, produces huge ruffled leaves of green or purple that stand on 3-foot stems. Native to tropical Asia, the South Pacific and Hawaii, where Captain Cook found it in 1778, taro has been imported for use in foods from baby formula to bread for lactose intolerant adults. The plant makes an imposing ornamental, but its tropical tenderness demands special treatment.
Rich in vitamins A and C, a good source of calcium and phosphorus, lower in fat and higher in protein than potatoes (Solanum tuberosum), taro is known as the “potato of the tropics.” It grows year-round only in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 10 and 11, limiting its usefulness as a mainland agricultural crop. As an ornamental, though, it can grow outdoors as long as air and soil temperatures do not fall below 70 degrees Fahrenheit and it has plenty of water. Their tender habit makes winter shelter necessary for elephant's ears grown in USDA zones 8, 9 and occasionally, 10.
Moving a container taros indoors where winter temperatures stay in above 68 F keeps plants growing. The challenge for indoor taros, as a tropical houseplant, is to maintain enough humidity -- 50 percent or higher -- and keep its soil constantly moist. Elephant's ears are wetland plants, so thriving in dry central heating presents a test. You might grow taros in a conservatory or under artificial light in a bright bathroom with a frequently used shower. Without a tropical retreat for the plant, you can store the corms and tubers -- the plant produces both.
The nutritious flour made from taro comes from the corms that support the impressive plants and tubers that grow from them to start new plants. Central corms can weigh as much as 8 pounds, but corms that are dug and stored seldom reach the size of agricultural taro. When nighttime temperatures fall below 70 F, cut the foliage back to leave a few inches of stalk to show where the plants meet the corms and tubers. Corms and tubers sit 4 to 6 inches deep in the soil and can be gently lifted with a garden fork. Discard any diseased or damaged corms or tubers.
Storage and Return
Clean the corms and tubers of dirt with a soft brush before you store them. Inspect them for rot or insects. Elephant's ears are typically not susceptible to insects or diseases, but if they are present in the soil, you’re forcing them to turn to taro during the lean times. Bag the roots in moist peat moss and store them indoors where temperatures stay between 65 and 70 F. In spring, divide corms and tubers to multiply plants. Set them, buds pointing upward, in the garden when soil temperature stays between 70 and 80 F. The plants tolerate some shade in the afternoon but do best where they receive sun all morning.
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