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Colocasia esculenta

Elephant ears

Synonym(s): Colocasia antiquorum
Family: Araceae (Arum Family)
Duration and Habit: Perennial Herb

Photographer: Charles T. Bryson
Source: USDA Agricultural Research Service, Bugwood.org

Description

Perennial herb to 1.5 m (4 ft) tall, with thick shoots from a large corm; slender stolons also often produced, along with offshoot corms. Leaf blades to 60 cm (24 in) long and 50 cm (20 in) wide, arrowhead shaped, with upper surface dark green and waxy; leaves peltate (stalked from back of blade); petioles large, succulent, often purplish near top. Petiole attached to leaf several inches from V-shaped notch; the petiole of a similar non-native species that can be come invasive, Arrow-Leaved Elephant Ear (Xanthosoma sagittifolium) attaches directly to the base at the notch. Inflorescence on a fleshy stalk shorter than leaf petioles; part of fleshy stalk enveloped by a long yellow bract (spathe); flowering is rare. Flowers tiny, densely crowded on upper part of fleshy stalk, with female flowers below and male flowers above. Fruit a small berry, in clusters on the fleshy stalk.

Native Lookalikes: Currently no information available here yet, or there are no native Texas species that could be confused with Elephant ears.

Ecological Threat: Taro invades wetland areas and colonizes river, stream and lake banks, forming dense growth. Outcompetes native species, thus altering natural habitat and ecosystem processes; reduces biodiversity.It will forms dense stands along lakes and rivers where it can completely eliminate native plant species in infested areas.

Biology & Spread: Reproduces primarily vegetatively, via culm fragmentation and budding at the base of the plant. Disturbance greatly encourages growth and facilitates its spread. Plantings alongside water bodies are a primary pathway that can result in spread.

History: Introduced to the United States in 1910 as a substitute crop for potatoes, and later cultivated as an ornamental. Numerous varieties continue to be sold in the nursery trade, despite its invasiveness, due to the economic importance of the species.

U.S. Habitat: Needs soil that is moist to wet, mildly acidic, and rich in organic material. Found spreading along wetland fringes as well as stream, ditch, canal, and lake banks.

Distribution

U.S. Nativity: Introduced to U.S.

Native Origin: tropical Asia (Bailey, L.H. and E.Z. Bailey, Hortus Third: A Concise Dictionary of Plants Cultivated in the United States and Canada, MacMillan Publishing Co., Inc., New York , (1977).); India, Southeast Asia (NatureServe Explorer)

U.S. Present: AL, FL, GA, HI, LA, MS, NC, PR, SC, TX

Distribution in Texas: Occurs in the southeastern U.S. west to central Texas, as well as Puerto Rico and Hawaii. Common in local residential and urban areas; naturalized along banks of bayous and lakes within the Lower Galveston Bay watershed, and west to the Llano River (among others).

Mapping

Invaders of Texas Map: Colocasia esculenta
EDDMapS: Colocasia esculenta
USDA Plants Texas County Map: Colocasia esculenta

Native Alternatives

Native alternatives include Jack in the pulpit (Arisaema triphyllum), Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis) and Pickerelweed (Pontederia cordata). It resembles Arrow-leaved elephant ear (Xanthosoma sagittifolium).

• Pontederia cordata (pickerelweed)
• Sagittaria platyphylla (delta arrowhead)
• Canna glauca (maraca amarilla)
  

Management

Herbicides with the following active ingredients have been successful in treating elephant ears (E = excellent control, G = good): triclopyr (G), glyphosate(not rated), imazapyr (E), and imazamox (E). In mechanical removal, all care must be taken to keep the plant intact, as remaining fragments will readily germinate.

USE PESTICIDES WISELY: ALWAYS READ THE ENTIRE PESTICIDE LABEL CAREFULLY, FOLLOW ALL MIXING AND APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS AND WEAR ALL RECOMMENDED PERSONAL PROTECTIVE GEAR AND CLOTHING. CONTACT YOUR STATE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE FOR ANY ADDITIONAL PESTICIDE USE REQUIREMENTS, RESTRICTIONS OR RECOMMENDATIONS. MENTION OF PESTICIDE PRODUCTS ON THIS WEB SITE DOES NOT CONSTITUTE ENDORSEMENT OF ANY MATERIAL.

Text References

Floridata. Colocasia esculenta. Accessed 19 August 2010 (http://www.floridata.com/ref/c/colo_esc.cfm).

Florida Exotic Plant Pest Council. Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott. Accessed 19 August 2010 (http://www.fleppc.org/ID_book/Colocasia%20esculenta.pdf).

Online Resources

The Quiet Invasion: A Guide to Invasive Plants of the Galveston Bay Area. Lisa Gonzalez and Jeff DallaRosa. Houston Advanced Research Center, 2017.

Search Online

Google Search: Colocasia esculenta
Google Images: Colocasia esculenta
NatureServe Explorer: Colocasia esculenta
USDA Plants: Colocasia esculenta
Invasive Plant Atlas of the United States: Colocasia esculenta
Bugwood Network Images: Colocasia esculenta