Elephant Ear

[NotMe]

A bit new to ponds and have a couple questions about this plant. I have what I believe is an Elephant Ear variety but does anyone know exactly what it is? It was just stuck directly in the water at the edge of the pond and now is spreading out.
The two "new" plants that are out in the water have roots on them. Can I just cut those off and grow them elsewhere? If so, should I cut them at the stem near them or should I remove the stem near the mother plant?
I am making a small free floating island and would like to plant them in the island. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

[WaterGardener]

I would say that is a taro plant. At this point it looks like green taro, but it may show a different type as it gets older and larger. With warmer temperatures and more sun exposure, it might develop different colored leaves. But right now, I would say it's a green taro.

Those shoots are how the plant reproduces itself. So yes, you can cut those off and plant them separately.

Taros don't lend themselves to floating planters very well. They can get huge, 5 to 6 feet tall and several feet wide. By the end of the season mine are taller than I am, not that I'm tall, but they get very large. There are smaller varieties, but none that I know of would be small enough for floating planters.

They can grow most anywhere. In the ground, in pots in the water, in rocks like yours. I have grown them every way I can think of, and mine do best in the pond. I plant them in pots of river rock, with plastic kitchen scrubbies in the bottom half of the pots to reduce the weight. There is no soil and they thrive that way. Some people use plain kitty litter, with no additives, 100% clay, or just clay soil if you have it where you live.

They won't survive cold, freezing temperatures, so mine are brought inside a lightly heated room for winter. That's the reason I try to reduce the weight as much as possible.

They are possibly my favorite pond plants with several different varieties. The only drawback is that they reproduce so easily and you are soon covered up in taros.

Seems to be a common thing with pond plants. The ones that do well seem to do too well.

 

[dinm]

I would say that is a taro plant. At this point it looks like green taro, but it may show a different type as it gets older and larger. With warmer temperatures and more sun exposure, it might develop different colored leaves. But right now, I would say it's a green taro.

Those shoots are how the plant reproduces itself. So yes, you can cut those off and plant them separately.

Taros don't lend themselves to floating planters very well. They can get huge, 5 to 6 feet tall and several feet wide. By the end of the season mine are taller than I am, not that I'm tall, but they get very large. There are smaller varieties, but none that I know of would be small enough for floating planters.

They can grow most anywhere. In the ground, in pots in the water, in rocks like yours. I have grown them every way I can think of, and mine do best in the pond. I plant them in pots of river rock, with plastic kitchen scrubbies in the bottom half of the pots to reduce the weight. There is no soil and they thrive that way. Some people use plain kitty litter, with no additives, 100% clay, or just clay soil if you have it where you live.

They won't survive cold, freezing temperatures, so mine are brought inside a lightly heated room for winter. That's the reason I try to reduce the weight as much as possible.

They are possibly my favorite pond plants with several different varieties. The only drawback is that they reproduce so easily and you are soon covered up in taros.

Seems to be a common thing with pond plants. The ones that do well seem to do too well.

When do you plant them in the pond? I've been thinking a lot about tropical plants, I think when the temperatures increase at end of April to plant some.

 

[WaterGardener]

I wait until it has warmed up some. That is usually mid to late April here. They won't grow if the temperature is below 40 degrees, maybe 45. They probably won't die at 40 degrees, but they will just sit there until it warms up. They like hot weather.

If they aren't used to full sun, they may get sunburned at first and that can set them back temporarily. I keep my pond shaded with shade cloth or shade sails and that seems to help.

 

[dinm]

I am looking to buy some currently but I am not sure whether Alocasia Odora can go in a pond, I realize now that Alocasia and Colocasia are two different plants

 

[WaterGardener]

I put taros in my pond, Colocasias. I've never tried Alocasias in there.

If you are looking for large ones, there are giant taro plants available online. I have a few and they do very well here, but have to be taken inside for winter

 

[GBBUDD]

Elephant ear from my experience does not send out runners like that. they are bulbs that just grow off the main bulb

 

[BKHpondcritters]

I am looking to buy some currently but I am not sure whether Alocasia Odora can go in a pond, I realize now that Alocasia and Colocasia are two different plants

My understanding is that while Colocasia can thrive with constantly wet soil, and therefore is good as a pond plant, Alocasia is prone to rot if the roots stay constantly saturated in that manner.

 

[BKHpondcritters]

Elephant ear from my experience does not send out runners like that. they are bulbs that just grow off the main bulb

What "elephant ear' are you talking about? Colocasia are sometimes called this (as well as 'Taro' - this is the problem with using "common names" for identification) and they definitely send out root runners that grow up little bulblets into new plants, just as pictured above. I'm not as familiar with Alocasia, so perhaps those "elephant ears" don't run like this?