Big Heavy Elephant Ear Trunk ? And a few questions

[junk250]

Hello all,

I'm new here, I got this monster Elephant Ear Trunk ?

I was gifted this,. and wasn't given any info other than winter store it in the basement.

I googled elephant ear and saw tubor/bulb types, this thing is a giant Root or Trunk and looks nothing like the bulb types.

Any info on how to save it would be appreciated.

This thing weighs a ton, well at least a 100 lbs.

Trunk is about 10" diameter and 2-3 feet tall.

The leaf photo is off of a baby sprout off the mother, they already cut the leaves off the big trunk before I got it.

I found this forum searching elephant ear trunk and found a member post about "trunking elephant ears" Is that what I have ?

Edited November 1, 2014 by junk250

[aussiearoids]

Looks very much like Alocasia macrorrhizos

[KennyRE317]

i don't know much about these but i do have some that will come out of the ground randomly

[Pip]

They won't just pop up out the ground randomly unless it self seeds. Once it has been planted it may send up new stems from the portion of buried trunk. There really isn't really any rules about how to plant elephant ears you can make a trench and partially bury the whole thing, plant it up right or look at the trunk to find those little bumps called eyes, these are potential new stems. You can if you wanted to slice the trunk into pieces as long as each piece has an intact eye you will have potentially many new plants when planted into pots of ordinary potting mix or compost

[The Silent Seed]

Welcome!

That is exactly what it is.

You can either store it dry, with ventilation, or plant it and treat it as a houseplant. Once growing, they enjoy water, and a lot of light.

They are fun, if you have the space.

Enjoy!

[Al in Kona]

Looks similar to the plant I have growing here in the center of the pic, which I'm growing from an offset of another plant.

[kahili]

You can plant it right now if you have the space near your sunniest window. Once planted, it will start to grow roots from the base (plant it deep in the pot so that the dirt comes to just below the green stem -maybe 3 inches below the green) and then start to push out leaves. the first leaves will be more upright, but as it puts out more leaves it will be wider, so you have to make sure that you have the room around it but it will take a few months to get that wide (3-4' wide). Because it is winter, it is more dormant than active in its growing, but it will push out some leaves this winter if there is enough warmth and light. Don't worry about fertilizing until spring and you can get it outside in full sun, but bring it in for the night if there will be frost or freezing temps at night. I don't know if it is hardy in your zone, so you might want to keep it in a pot. Use the biggest pot you can get-2' high and 2' wide. Don't use potting soil if you can help it-it doesn't drain /dry out as well as a soiless mix, which matters in the winter. This is a Alocasia, which likes it dryer than Colocasias-esp in the winter, so if you do pot it up now, keep the soil moist but not soaking wet all the time. It will be prone to spider mites (maybe not if it is the only one in a house) but they are easily treated if you do see cobwebby stuff on the backs of the leaves.

[Alicehunter2000]

That's a whopper! ...would like to have seen it with the leaves, bet they were huge. In spring, I would plant it in the ground. Every year be sure to keep some offsets as an insurance policy. I'll bet most years it would return from the ground espectially if you cut it at the base and mulch heavy....can't imagine your soil freezing 2 foot down.

[DoomsDave]

Chris:

Welcome aboard!

That plant is also known as edible taro. It's big. It's a relative of the Jack-in-the-Pulpit, which is from the woods of Kentucky (and Ohio).

It won't take cold, but it's tough enough to be dug up each year then replanted. In a climate like California, or Hawaii, they go berserk and pop up everywhere.

If you've been to Hawaii and had poi, this is what they make it from.

Let us know what happens.

[junk250]

Thanks everyone for the replies !

I cant wait to get it planted in the spring, I'll come here and post some pics of it when it leaves out in summer.

I am still a little confused about it looking more like a trunk, is it a bulb/tubor or a different type of plant than a tubor type ?

Only about 1/3 of it was below ground(where the roots are) and the dark bark like portion was above ground.

Should I trim off the little roots or just let it overwinter like it is ?

Thanks again

[Funkthulhu]

Just dug up my elephant ears ahead of the frost coming. This is the first time I've seen this, but they all look like Junk's photo. BIG roots, BIG top, no bulb to speak of. Only one of the 6 bunches I dug up made a bulb this year.

I'm going to follow Santory's advice and put them in with all the banana corms, hope that they hibernate until spring in a dark corner of the basement...

[junk250]

I left it over winter in a bag in the basement, looks a tad dried out.

I guess I should plant it out about June ?

It's a Big Suump, even after winter it is a big chunk maybe 50--70 #.

I'll post pics if it grows.

Thanks !

[Palm crazy]

It should be plenty warm in early May to plant your elephant ears….I just stated one inside to get a jump on the growing season. Mine will go outside in May also, and its cooler here in the PNW than Ky in May. Good luck with that beast and welcome to palm talk.

[tank]

I've been trying to get rid of these in my yard. Dug up a couple about the size of yours and left them in the driveway last summer hoping they would dry up and die. Nope.

Started growing on the concrete. Probably will be harder to kill it than keep it alive.

[Funkthulhu]

Just checked on the elephant ears and bananas hibernating in the basement. They're still firm and ready to go, might as well put them in the ground soon as warm as it is already.

[DoomsDave]

Funk!

Expletive Nebraska!

Oy!

[Hammer]

Hey Funky, please post some before, during and summer pics. Always stoked to see the tropics back home.

[junk250]

A litle update, I put it the big stump and the baby out a little late, about the end of May.

The baby one is pretty big and flowering, the big stump is pretty big now.

The little one was a golf ball sized bulb held over winter, now the little bulb is 2 x 3 times bigger with large leaves and is flowering in a pot.and the bulb is coming out of the ground on a new "stump" corm.

The bare big heavy stump held over winter bare root has put out 8-10 more large bulbs and growing pretty good,

Interesting plant !

Edited August 15, 2015 by junk250

[junk250]

The root is putting out new bulbs and the bulb is growing a root, interestng plant

[junk250]

Giant Colacatia ?

[junk250]

[John Case]

As was said prior, Alocasia macrozhizzos.....in the tropics the leave will attain a 10 size on a 6 foot or longer petiole. Mine get to be 6 feet and it can be amazing.....

[junk250]

As was said prior, Alocasia macrozhizzos.....in the tropics the leave will attain a 10 size on a 6 foot or longer petiole. Mine get to be 6 feet and it can be amazing.....

bepaw,

Thanks for the clarification , that must have went right over my head.

I couldn't beleive my eyes when I found this happily sitting in the macrozhizzos a little while ago.

A TREE FROG !

I's unusual to see any frog in the city, have never seen a tree frog except way out in the woods, he somehow managed to find a tropical plant to lounge in.

**

Edited August 16, 2015 by junk250

[NApalm]

So good! If you build it, they will come!

[junk250]

So good! If you build it, they will come!

So true, I would have never had the frog without the tropical plant.

[junk250]

And Geiko can save you up to 30 % on your car insurance.

[Cikas]

I like Alocasias. They grow like crazy here in Dubrovnik.

[Funkthulhu]

Hey Funky, please post some before, during and summer pics. Always stoked to see the tropics back home.

I'll get a "now" shot when I get home this evening. But until then, here's some progress shots.

Seriously thought everything was dead, had a really long cool wet spring, this is May 31st:

June 18th:

July 3rd, at which point I actually started seeing some of the banana corms push through the surface (not counting the Ensete I started with in the first pic):

The Ears are getting ridiculous now, but the leaves are not as big individually as last year, just a lot more of them. Like I said, I'll get another shot of the patch when I get home tonight, but I'm going to have a crapload of E.Ears to dig up this year and what I dug up last year all survived dry storage last winter...

[Cikas]

That is completely different plant, Colocasia.

I have them in my garden too.

Edited August 17, 2015 by Cikas

[John Case]

A good rule of thumb,...if the leaf points upwardly, it is an Alocasia, if it points down, it is a Colocasia. Alocasias generally prefer more shade than Colocasia which is a full sun plant. Poi is made from the macerated root of the Colocasia esculenta. Both of the genus' are edible after lots of soaking and preparation. Too much for this haole.

[junk250]

bepah,

Mine are defiantly Alocasia then, the leaves point up.

It spreads out in the sun, then sort of folds back up at night.

Unusual thing I noticed, is if it has decent moisture in the soil it will drip water from the leaves at night.

I guess that is what the frog liked.

Edited August 18, 2015 by junk250

[Funkthulhu]

Last night (August 20)

Elephant Ears up Front

Bananas in the back...

[LDD]

Hello!  Found this group while looking for answers.

 I live in Mississippi and love elephant ears.  Planted all around my back deck about 4 years ago.  They get HUGE and HEAVY!!!
 

We have just gad a cold snap that always freezes the leaves.  At that time each year I cut them back and just leave bulbs in the ground.

This year, it looks like I cut down small trees…. Looks like trunks left around my deck!  
 

My question is: how do I cover to protect the remaining ‘bulb/ trunk’ until spring….NO WAY I can dig these things up!!!

Thank you!

[Keys6505]

On 1/9/2022 at 7:06 AM, LDD said:

Hello!  Found this group while looking for answers.

 I live in Mississippi and love elephant ears.  Planted all around my back deck about 4 years ago.  They get HUGE and HEAVY!!!
 

We have just gad a cold snap that always freezes the leaves.  At that time each year I cut them back and just leave bulbs in the ground.

This year, it looks like I cut down small trees…. Looks like trunks left around my deck!  
 

My question is: how do I cover to protect the remaining ‘bulb/ trunk’ until spring….NO WAY I can dig these things up!!!

Thank you!

What zone are you in?  Depending where you live a pile of leaves or a flipped over garbage can may be enough protection, if you need any at all.

And btw, welcome to PalmTalk!