A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2004 Elephant Ear

I have an elephant ear I started inside in a pot to transplant outside when it gets warm enough.
Elephant Ear
My neighbor has one outside and it gets so big and beautiful in the summer, but it's gone in the winter. So, I was wondering if this is a plant that I could bring indoors in the fall and keep it beautiful all winter in a pot in the house, then set it back outside in the summer.
I've never had one of these before.

I've never tried digging up one of the large elephant ears to overwinter. I usually wait till the frost kills it and then dig up the tubers to save for next year. Last year though, I bought an Imperial Taro and had it sitting in a pot outside my kitchen door. At first frost, I brought the pot in a stopped watering to try to promote dormancy like I do with the big ones. Then I read that the Taros don't take as well to going dormant as they don't have big tubers, so I set the pot by a south window and started watering again. I had a problem with aphids, but I think it was because I had weakened the plant as it was almost all dried out. I sprayed with Safer's soap several times and it came out of it well, so yes, with sufficient light you should have success.

I grow 2 different ones a elephant ear beside my pond I keep flooded in summertime& really takes off with cow manure and compost& another type i just call "wild taro" that grows in my pond and gets about 3 feet(no manure so probably why) ether way they are very heavy feeders.I know they can't be left inground outside of zone 7(unless possibly keept dry)I'm not sure it would grow indoors in winter.I'm afraid it would act like my caladuims and would go dormant anyway.they like tons of water tons of fertilizer& love humidity.I grew up in TN and and my neighbor had them around her house which was brick.mom says they still grow.so when they go over to mow grass she will ask pearlie what she does with hers shes zone 6 so would be close to your zone.
are yours a tuber or the woody looking ball?woody ball will not do in pond directly,but tuber will.but they really like it warm out unlike my wild tarro.I'm zone 8b but my elephant ear is not up yet but my wild taro is.now if we'd just stay in the 80s for good it would probaly wake up.
Hope i helped ya some

I just remembered. My mom had one of the big green elephant ears in a pot and she brought it in and kept it in her sunroom. I didn't grow a lot, but it stayed nice all winter.

The thing I bought was a big, round bulb-looking thing. BIG!
Here's the only info it gave me on the plastic bag it came in:

Elephant Ear (Upright)
"Alocasia Odora" Product of Costa Rica
Full sun to partial shade
Bulb size: 7 - 9"
Bulb Type: Tuber

I planted it in a container in the house because it was too cold outside. It's been a month, and I am amazed at the growth! If it's something I can bring indoors in the winter I think I'll just buy a great big planter to grow it in so I can carry it inside when the time comes. Wasn't sure of how big the root system would be as far as a planter goes.
Thanks for the info so far!!!

I have two large elephant ears outside, not sure what their names are but I bought them as large bulbs. This was their first full winter and they did fairly well, only a bit of frost damage, had to trim off a few stalks. Their root systems are fairly extensive and they don't like to be disturbed at all when they are getting settled (I tried planting some stuff around them, messed with its roots a bit and all new growth stopped for a few weeks while it recovered.) They love the sun and are just huge in the summer (my sprinklers soak them pretty good in the morning). One gets more sun the other and there is a definite difference.
I tried planting one in a pot and it never really took. I think it didn't get enough sun/ moisture and I tried to plant petunias around it in the pot. The petunias did well but the poor elephant ear did not. So it was probably a combination of things. Maybe you can learn from my mistakes and yours will do great. I love them, so big and green. They add a touch of the tropics to my little yard.

Maybe this site will be informative. It has planting info for all kinds of plants. This page is for bulbs and perennials scroll down for elephant ears.

obywan59.....great site for general information! Thanks for the info!

Thanks! Great link.
Now, I just need to build a sun-room to put the elephant ear in the winter!!!