Additional information
Main characteristics | Colocasia esculenta is a marsh plant that can be grown in the pond or in pots, even in very bright flats |
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Leaves | It has dark-colored, heart-shaped leaves with wavy edges, reaching up to 40 cm in length, and purple-colored stems |
Inflorescences | Colocasia produces a yellow inflorescence called spadix, i.e. a spike of tiny flowers wrapped in a large bract |
Flowering period | In summer |
Edibility | The tuber is edible, and it is known as taro. It is similar to the potato, with white or reddish flesh, and it is used to produce flour. The leaf stems are edible after a long boiling |
Planting depth | Colocasias can be grown either in moist soil (with only the roots soaked in water, or submerged in water to a depth of -5 cm |
Plant height | 150 cm |
Recommended basket | Micro-perforated square basket 35×35 cm or a 40/50 cm diameter tub for growing outside the pond |
Soil to use | Field soil with 2/3 tablets of Osmocote fertilizer near the rhizome |
Exposure | Full sun or half shade |
PH tolerated | Acidic, neutral or basic (alkaline): 5.5 to 8 |
Frost Resistance | No, it must be sheltered, except in regions where frosts in winter are weak and occasional |
Origin | Ornamental plant derived from Colocasia esculenta, which is native of tropical areas of Asia, Oceania, Africa and South America |
Shipped plant | Plant in temporary 10×10 pot, skillfully pruned to facilitate shipping and promote vigorous growth after transplantation |