Elephant's ear

Alocasia 'Calidora' is also called Elephant's ear due to the fact that the leaves are huge and look like the ears of an elephant. Other than the fact that they're green and glossy! It's a really unusual addition to the garden, giving a tropical jungle feel. It will need to be indoors over winter in colder climates, so plant it in a pot and bring it into the house or conservatory during the winter months. When outside it will need a sheltered spot to stop wind damage to those large leaves. It will grow to nearly 2m in height and a metre wide.

Elephant's ear 'Calidora'

Dwarf elephant ear

Despite the name Dwarf elephant ear, alocasia gageana is still a large plant. It grows to around a metre and a half in height, with large leaves, around 50cm across. The leaves are a similar shape to an elephant's ear; they are bright green, with a crinkled edge and deep veins. It likes fertile soil with good drainage, either neutral or acidic. It will cope with some frost but isn't really suited to colder climates. It likes a sunny position but will still grow in the shade. This plant needs to be kept well watered. It will grow well in a container.

Giant elephant's ear

Alocasia macrorrhizos or giant elephant's ear grows up to 3m in height. It has impressive glossy large green leaves that grow up to a metre in length. If you want to keep it a little smaller then grow it in a pot where it will grow to just 1.5m in height. It doesn't like extreme cold so it's actually a good idea to grow it in a container as you can bring it indoors over the winter months if you live in a cold climate. The stems are thick and look like the trunk of a tree, adding yet another interesting feature to this amazing plant. It likes lots of water in warmer weather, but reduce the watering when it's colder as it can suffer from root rot.