Taro
4.3 out of 5 (65 experiences)
About Taro
Colocasia esculenta is a tropical plant grown primarily for its edible corms, or roots. It is most commonly known as taro and is widely cultivated in the high rainfall areas of Southeast Asia. It is thought to be one of the oldest cultivated plants in the world! 🌏
Taxonomy
Colocasia esculenta
Colocasia
Araceae
Alismatales
Also known as
Elephant Ear, Colocasia Painted Black Gecko, Colocasia 'Mojoto', black sapphire, Waikiki, Hawiian Waikiki' PP34615, 'Black Coral' aka 'Elephant Ear', Colocasia Mojito, Heart Of The Jungle, Hawaiian Punch Taro, Lemon-Lime Gecko and Ruffle Leaf
How to care for Taro
How often to water your Taro
Taro needs 0.5 cups of water every 9 when it doesn’t get direct sunlight and is potted in a 5" pot.
Use our water calculator to personalize watering recommendations to your environment or download Greg for more advanced recommendations for all of your plants.
Water 0.5 cups every
9
Finding light for Taro in your home
Taro may have difficulty thriving, and will drop leaves 🍃, without ample sunlight.
Place it less than 3 feet from a south-facing window to maximize the potential for growth.
Select your region to see how the current weather in your area affects the placement of Taro in your home 🏡.
How to fertilize Taro
Most potting soils come with ample nutrients which plants use to produce new growth.
By the time your plant has depleted the nutrients in its soil it’s likely grown enough to need a larger pot anyway.
To replenish this plant's nutrients, repot your Taro after it doubles in size or once a year—whichever comes first.
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Hi, is this overcrowded? I brought her home a couple weeks ago and there was a ton of yellowing and drooping, so I’ve already trimmed down quite a bit and she’s pushing some new growth! There are a ton of plants in one massive pot, so I’m wondering if I should separate into smaller pots or leave her alone? I’m a new #ElephantEar owner so any advice is welcome! Thanks in advance! #Taro #Colocasia
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Here’s my new plant tower in the bathroom under the skylight. Love this look and I’m trying hard to give the top plant- “sigmund the taro” plant what he needs. But he’s looking more pale and growing smaller and new growth is turning yellow. I already repotted him once before and gave fertilizer and being mindful of watering amounts. He is one of my harder plants to make happy. Hope I can figure out what he needs 🤞🏼 #PlantsMakePeopleHappy #PlantAddict #PlantLove #UrbanJungle #Taro #help
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I impulsively got this today 🙈 couldn’t help myself, she is a beauty. Looking for care tips please! I’m seeing a lot of conflicting info regarding light needs in particular. She will stay indoors as I live in an extremely hot, dry climate. Thanks in advance! #ElephantEar #Taro
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Hi!! Everytime a new leaf comes in and grows, it begins to brown and shrivel, and eventually it dies off or I cut it off. How can I help this plant? I’ve moved it from inside to outside, in the sun, partial shade, etc. I’m not sure what I’m doing wrong 🥲 #Taro
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Oooo! Elina has some awesome new action!! #HappyPlants #FreshLeafFriday #Taro #OutdoorGrowing
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Hi all! New Taro owner here. I just repotted it, but the leaves keep bending and drooping then dying. Any advice? Do you use something to hold the leaves up? TIA #Taro #advice #NewPlantMom #help
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Hi my taro is turning yellow and has some dots on it i checked for pest and there was none also i changed it pot recently it was stressed for sometimes but it's good now,its other leaf also have a slight yellow border too ,Can someone help ?? #Taro
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Could some one tell me what’s going on with my elephant ears I have 3 separate places and they are all doing that or real brown on leaves
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What kind of pest and how do I go about helping my baby ?
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Floppy #Taro hi! My plant has gone a bit floppy again but the soil is a damp still. I water once a week and give it a good soak, but I’m not sure if this is a sign of over watering or not enough water. It grows super fast so not sure if I should clip the bent stems 😭 I’ve tied them to the stronger stems for now. Any advice?
Care Summary for Taro
Taro
Greg recommends:
0.5 cups every 9 days
< 3ft from a window
Repot after 2x growth
Based on the 4” pot your plant is in, and that it doesn’t get direct sunlight.
What other plant parents say
Idk if it’s just me but shawty is so difficult to keep alive. It’s very difficult to find a place in my home where the temperature, humidity, and light are perfect for this picky plant- not to mention that a consistent watering schedule gets thrown out the window. Too picky of a plant for me and my other more tolerable plants 😰
Alocasias. Challenging but so worth the challenge. Ruby isn’t doing too well but she’s trying. My hope is she’ll go dormant for the winter and in the spring she’ll start shining. Water carefully. Alocasias like water but not a lot. Too much sun and the leaves scorch. Also pest checks weekly are a must.
Alocasia Regal Shields are work. They are large and lush plants but they need loving. Too much water and they hate it. Too little water and the hate it too. They need sun but not direct, the leaves will brown. Pests love them too. We’ve had spider mites, thrips, and fungus gnats. But through it all she’s persevered and we’ve even got two blooms! And new leaf growth. This plant is not for the first time plant parent but if you are patient and give it time you’ll love it just like I do!
We started out as close friend…I don’t know what I did but I did it! The leaves just fainted…passed out. No amount of water revived so I chopped them off. I figured maybe next year so I set it and attempted to forget it well that appears to be the formula. Water plentifully when you do water BUT leave them alone. Staking and tying to a stalk causes bruising and weakened stems so just let it do what it does.
Colocasia are bog plants so mine has enjoyed sitting in a few cm of water, being constantly moist has made it happy (but not wet as the roots will be deprived of oxygen) gotta say it is dramatic if its environment changes; 1 night in a cold dark moving van made it lose all its leaves. Has recovered since tho with some tlc ! Lots of sun and lots of water is the way for this one i think
I absolutely love her. I’ve had her for about two weeks now and she already has two more beautiful leaves that she’s growing to show the world, they’re slowly unraveling as we speak! She’s kept on my balcony, away from direct sunlight, but she definitely gets her fill! I water her just about everyday since it’s her growing season (summer) and it’s sooo hot outside, but I know they love the humidity and Lord knows there’s enough of it out there. She also loves to be misted now and again. I absolutely love her and I hope she continues to thrive as she’s moving to a bigger pot soon! I hope she knows she is very loved!
Honey this plant is a grower. She’s better in the garden, because of how big she gets but is a stunning houseplant. You give her enough bright indirect light and a well drawing soil and she’s going to flourish. Mines is about a foot away from a south facing window and she’s flourishing! She’s the fastest growing plant in my collection. Literally grow new leaves within a week. I highly recommend. She doesn’t like to get dry, so be sure to keep her moist but not wet. Happy Planting!