Jacks Giant Colocasia Plant – Live Elephant Ear Taro Plant – 5-9″ Tall – Easy to Grow

Overview

Transform your living space or garden into a lush, tropical oasis with the magnificent Jacks Giant Colocasia plant. This impressive live plant, scientifically known as Colocasia esculenta, is more commonly recognized as Elephant Ear Taro due to its strikingly large, heart-shaped leaves that resemble an elephant’s ear. Originating from the tropical and subtropical regions of Asia, this plant is celebrated for its dramatic foliage and ability to create a bold statement in any plant collection. Our live Colocasia plant arrives ready to thrive, offering an instant touch of exotic beauty. It is a fantastic choice for gardeners seeking a plant with significant visual impact and a relatively straightforward care routine, making it an excellent addition for both novice and experienced plant enthusiasts.

The Jacks Giant Colocasia plant is particularly admired for its vigorous growth and the sheer size its leaves can achieve under optimal conditions. Whether you’re looking to create a focal point in your indoor plant display or add a tropical flair to your outdoor landscape during warmer months, this plant delivers. Its rich green leaves provide a wonderful contrast to other plants and can help establish a vibrant, jungle-like atmosphere. The plant you will receive is a healthy, established specimen, measuring between 5-9 inches tall, ensuring a strong start in its new environment. Embrace the beauty of this tropical marvel and enjoy the unique presence it brings to your home or garden.

Beyond its aesthetic appeal, the Colocasia esculenta is a fascinating plant with a rich history, widely cultivated for its edible corms in many cultures. While our focus is on its ornamental value, understanding its natural characteristics helps appreciate its robust nature. This particular variety, ‘Jacks Giant’, is known for its impressive size and resilience, making it a rewarding plant to cultivate. An easy to grow Colocasia plant, it responds well to consistent moisture and warmth, promising a lush display of foliage throughout its growing season.

Key Benefits

The Jacks Giant Colocasia plant offers numerous advantages for plant lovers, making it a highly desirable addition to any collection. Its striking appearance and adaptable nature contribute to its widespread appeal.

• Dramatic Foliage: The most prominent feature of the Elephant Ear Taro is its oversized, heart-shaped leaves, which can grow to be quite large, creating an immediate focal point in any room or garden. This bold foliage adds architectural interest and a lush, tropical vibe.
• Versatile Placement: This live Colocasia plant thrives both as an indoor houseplant in bright, indirect light and as an outdoor specimen in partial shade during warm seasons. This adaptability allows you to enjoy its beauty in various settings.
• Fast Growth Rate: Under ideal conditions, the Jacks Giant Colocasia plant is a relatively fast grower, quickly producing new leaves and increasing in size, providing a dynamic and evolving display.
• Tropical Aesthetic: Instantly infuse a tropical resort feel into your space. The broad, verdant leaves evoke images of rainforests and exotic locales, enhancing the ambiance of your home or patio.
• Air Purification: Like many broad-leaved plants, Colocasia contributes to improved air quality by absorbing carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen, making your indoor environment healthier and more refreshing.
• Easy Care: Despite its exotic appearance, this Colocasia esculenta is surprisingly low-maintenance once its basic needs for warmth, moisture, and light are met, making it suitable for gardeners of all skill levels.
• Unique Texture: The large, often velvety leaves provide a textural contrast against other plants, adding depth and interest to your plant arrangements.

Plant Care & Growing Tips

Caring for your Jacks Giant Colocasia plant is a rewarding experience, as it readily responds to proper attention with vigorous growth and stunning foliage. Providing the right environment is key to ensuring your Elephant Ear Taro thrives. When it comes to light, this plant prefers bright, indirect light when grown indoors. Position it near a window where it receives plenty of ambient light but is shielded from harsh, direct sun exposure, which can scorch its delicate leaves. If growing outdoors, select a location with partial shade or dappled sunlight, especially during the hottest parts of the day. Too much shade can lead to leggy growth and smaller leaves, while too much direct sun can cause leaf burn.

Watering is crucial for the live Colocasia plant, as it is a moisture-loving species. The soil should be kept consistently moist, but never waterlogged. Allow the top inch of soil to dry out slightly between waterings, then water thoroughly until water drains from the bottom of the pot. During its active growing season (spring and summer), it may require more frequent watering. Reduce watering in the cooler months as the plant’s growth slows. High humidity is also beneficial for this tropical beauty; consider misting the leaves regularly, especially indoors, or placing the pot on a pebble tray filled with water. For soil, a rich, well-draining potting mix is ideal, one that retains moisture but allows excess water to escape efficiently. A mixture of peat moss, perlite, and good quality potting soil is often recommended for optimal growth of your Colocasia esculenta.

Temperature and fertilization are also important aspects of care for your easy to grow Colocasia plant. Maintain indoor temperatures between 70°F and 85°F during the day and no lower than 60°F at night. If growing outdoors, ensure temperatures remain consistently above 50°F. Colocasia are heavy feeders during their active growth period. Fertilize every 2-4 weeks with a balanced liquid fertilizer, or one higher in nitrogen, diluted to half strength. Reduce or cease fertilization during the dormant period. Common problems include yellowing leaves, which can indicate overwatering, underwatering, or nutrient deficiency. Keep an eye out for common pests like spider mites and aphids, and treat promptly with horticultural oil or insecticidal soap if spotted. With these care tips, your tropical plant for home will flourish.

Size & Details

This offering is for a healthy Jacks Giant Colocasia plant, a live specimen carefully nurtured to ensure its vitality upon arrival. Each plant measures approximately 5-9 inches in height from the base of the soil to the tip of its tallest leaf. This size makes it perfect for immediate display as a tabletop plant or for transplanting into a larger container as it grows. Colocasias are known for their rapid growth under optimal conditions, so you can expect your Elephant Ear Taro to quickly expand its impressive foliage, potentially reaching several feet in height and width within a single growing season when moved outdoors or given ample space indoors. The plant is shipped without a pot to minimize shipping costs and environmental impact, allowing you to choose the perfect container that complements your decor and provides adequate drainage for this moisture-loving plant.

The live Colocasia plant is robust and ready for transplanting into your chosen pot or garden bed. Its corms are well-developed, indicating a strong root system prepared for continued growth. While specific mature dimensions vary based on growing conditions, this variety is known for its ‘giant’ stature, often reaching 3-6 feet tall and wide in ideal outdoor conditions. Indoors, its size will be more constrained by pot size and available light but will still present a significant visual presence. This plant is a fantastic choice if you’re looking for a statement piece that grows quickly and rewards consistent care with lush, abundant foliage, making it a truly rewarding tropical plant for home and garden.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Q: How big does this plant get? A: The Jacks Giant Colocasia plant you receive will be 5-9 inches tall. With proper care, especially when planted outdoors in warm climates, it can grow to be 3-6 feet tall and wide, making it a very impressive specimen.
• Q: Is this an indoor or outdoor plant? A: This Elephant Ear Taro is versatile. It can be grown as an indoor houseplant in bright, indirect light, or as an outdoor plant in partial shade during warm seasons. In cooler climates, it’s often moved indoors for winter.
• Q: How much sunlight does it need? A: For optimal growth, the live Colocasia plant thrives in bright, indirect light indoors or partial shade outdoors. Avoid direct, harsh sunlight, which can scorch its large leaves.
• Q: Is this plant easy to care for? A: Yes, the easy to grow Colocasia plant is considered relatively easy to care for. Its main requirements are consistent moisture, warmth, and adequate light. It’s a great choice for those new to tropical plants.
• Q: What condition will it arrive in? A: Your Colocasia esculenta will arrive as a healthy, bare-root plant, carefully packaged to ensure its safety during transit. It will be ready for immediate planting into your chosen pot or garden.
• Q: How often should I water my Colocasia? A: This plant loves moisture. Keep the soil consistently moist, but not waterlogged. Water thoroughly when the top inch of soil feels slightly dry, and ensure good drainage.
• Q: What is the best soil type for this plant? A: A rich, well-draining potting mix that retains moisture well is ideal. A mix containing peat moss, perlite, and high-quality potting soil is recommended for your tropical plant for home.
• Q: Can I grow this plant in a small apartment? A: While it can be grown indoors, its ‘giant’ nature means it will eventually need a large pot and ample space to accommodate its expansive leaves. It’s best suited for spaces where it has room to spread.
• Q: Will it survive winter in my zone? A: Colocasia is a tropical plant. In USDA zones 8 and below, it’s typically grown as an annual outdoors or brought indoors for winter to protect it from cold temperatures. It is hardy in zones 9-11.
• Q: What is the ideal temperature range for Colocasia? A: The Jacks Giant Colocasia plant prefers warm temperatures, ideally between 70°F and 85°F during the day and no lower than 60°F at night.