Colocasia ‘Black Ripple’

Elephant ears provide a wide, tropical element in landscapes. Not all are hardy even in our mildest California climates see the hardiness information on your plant for more information.

Older leaves can be pruned off when they begin to shrivel and dry up.

Elephant ears are physically delicate and leaves show small tears and rips when they are located near high traffic areas.

While some make a tasty snack when *cooked* (yes, Colocasia esculenta is the taro you see in Asian and Pacific cuisines!), not all species are edible, and in fact some are poisonous, so best not to dish up your elephant ear.

This plant was grown for an outdoor environment, so we do not recommend moving it inside. In general we do not recommend moving plants raised for an outdoor environment indoors.

This plant would make a good houseplant if it had been grown in a controlled greenhouse with houseplant soil. This 'greenhousing' ensures that plants who come home with you are well acclimated to indoor life, and also that they don't have any pests. It is common for outdoor plants to have other passengers as well, such as earthworms or centipides that don't necessarily hurt the plant, but aren't welcome indoors.

If you consider yourself an expert gardener, you can of course attempt to transition this plant indoors. In that case you'll want to strip all the soil from the rootball, wash the roots clean and then spray the entire plant (leaves, undersides of the leaves, all the cracks and roots) with a mix of one tablespoon of rubbing alcohol in a cup of water. Repot the plant in the appropriate sterile soil/pot and take extra care as it transitions to the indoors, especially looking for pests and treating at the first sign of problems. Always consider the risk that any bugs could also affect other houseplants you have nearby.

For some plants, we sell two versions: outdoor-grown and greenhouse-grown. If you're looking to grow this plant indoors, feel free to ask our staff if we have a greenhouse-grown version in stock!