A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2007 Elephant ears question

I bought an elephant ears bulb from Walmart. I have looked it up online and found conflicting information. (Yes, I tried to figure this out myself!) Some say it does best in standing water. As much as six inches. Others say it needs to be in moist soil, but not standing water. Some said they have it in very shady areas that really don't get any sun, and others said it needs some sun, as in filtered sun. I said to myself, "Okay, I will have to go to the experts"! As far as I can tell, the one I bought is from the "Colocasia" (Spelling?) family. But, of course, I could be wrong. I am going by the picture on the bulb packaging. Thanks guys.

I visit Florida often but I do not recognize the area of Florida where you live.

The areas I visit in Florida is Miami and Orlando because it is extremely hot in those areas they have their plants in shade moist soil.

I grow mine in the pond in blazing sun in the summer. My Summer heat does not get over high 80s and we do not have a lot of humidity. We only occassionally get in the 90s and humid.

I hope this helps you.

in perry, you can grow it in part to full sun, in a moist area. it doesn't have to be wet, but you don't want it to be in a totally dry area.

Linny,
I live in MS so our climates should be somewhat similar. I have my elephant ears (also bought from Wallyworld) in an east flowerbed so it only gets morning sun. This bed usually stays very moist. The elephant ears love it so well there that they are multiplying and even blooming! I grew up in Louisiana where lot's of folks had them but not planted in moist soil and I never saw one bloom.

I also have an elephant ears question. We bought a house last year with a fully landscaped yard. Lucky us!?! Anyway, as we know ZIPPO about gardening, my husband "cut down" the plant during the fall. Now we have a small root stump in the ground that is doing nothing. I read that they can winter in the ground in the South, is my plant ok? Should I do something to it or will it grow on its own? Or, have we done irreparable harm and killed it?

Cutting it down was the right thing to do. The leaves were going to die anyway. It is fine, it will come up when it gets warm enough.

if anything you might want to mulch it to hold it until all danger of frost is past.

Jiffymouse is correct when she says to mulch the plant. I bought mine from Lows a year ago and covered it with four inches of mulch. To my surprise, the ears were about two feet wide and over three feet long!

I also have mine where it gets the morning sun only and I keep it moist (water it twice per week) Presently, the plant is peeping out of the mulch.