Taro
Also known as
Elephant ear, Dasheen, Cocoyam, Eddoe, Kalo, Arbi/Arvi
Keep this plant’s care guide close at hand.
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Colocasia esculenta (taro) is a tropical, tuber-forming perennial in the arum family prized both as a staple food and a dramatic ornamental. It produces enormous sagittate (shield-shaped) leaves on long petioles arising from a swollen corm, typically reaching 1–2 m tall in cultivation. Native to the Indo-Malayan/Southeast Asian region and domesticated thousands of years ago, it thrives in saturated, organically rich soils and warm, humid conditions; many forms tolerate shallow standing water, making taro a classic plant for paddies, pond margins, and rain gardens. The plant spreads by cormels and can naturalize in frost-free wetlands. Inflorescences (spadix and spathe) are occasional and generally secondary to foliage appeal. Raw tissues contain calcium oxalate raphides that cause intense irritation; corms and leaves are edible only after thorough cooking. As a container plant, taro grows fast if given abundant moisture, bright light, warmth, and regular feeding. In temperate climates it is grown as a summer ornamental and overwintered by lifting and storing the corms or kept indoors under high humidity and strong light.
Taxonomy
Properties & Requirements
How to care for Taro
Water
Keep the root zone consistently wet. Outdoors, taro thrives in boggy soil or very shallow water; you can allow 0–5 cm of water above the soil surface but avoid submerging the crown. In containers, water until excess drains, then do not allow the mix to dry—daily in hot weather may be needed. Reduce watering modestly in cool, low-light months to prevent rot, but never let the medium become dry. Use a peat-free, organic-rich mix that holds moisture while allowing some aeration.
Light
Provide bright light for robust growth. Outdoors, full sun to part sun works if water is abundant; in very hot climates, give afternoon shade to prevent leaf scorch. Indoors, place near a bright east or west window, or provide strong supplemental light; low light leads to smaller leaves and leggy petioles. Aim for 6+ hours of bright light daily. Increase watering and nutrition proportionally under higher light and heat.
Nutrients
A heavy feeder, taro responds best to organically rich soil plus regular supplementation. Incorporate compost or well-rotted manure at planting, then use a balanced, slow-release fertilizer at label rates in spring. During active growth, apply a dilute liquid feed (e.g., balanced or slightly higher nitrogen) every 2–3 weeks, especially in containers where leaching is high. For edible corm production, emphasize potassium later in the season. Maintain micronutrients (Mg, Ca) and flush occasionally to prevent salt buildup in constantly wet media.
Temperature
Warmth is essential. Ideal growth occurs at 21–32°C (70–90°F); growth slows below ~18°C (65°F). Avoid exposure below 10°C (50°F), and protect from frost—freezing can kill foliage and corms. In temperate regions, grow outdoors only after nights remain above 13°C (55°F). To overwinter, either keep as a warm, bright houseplant or lift and store corms dry at 10–15°C (50–59°F). Sudden cold snaps and chilly, wet soil increase risk of rot.
