{"title":"Taro \u0026 Elephant Ear","description":"\u003cp\u003eBig tropical leaves above ground, dinner below it.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eColocasia esculenta\u003c\/em\u003e is sold as an ornamental elephant ear almost everywhere else. It's also taro, one of the most widely eaten root crops on earth. Six or seven feet of heart-shaped foliage all summer, then a harvest in the fall.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSold as live bulbs by the count, packed the day they ship.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"colocasia-esculenta-bulbs","title":"Taro Bulbs (Colocasia esculenta) — Live Green Elephant Ear Bulbs for Planting","description":"\u003ch2\u003eThe only thing in your garden that's both a six-foot centerpiece and dinner\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMost people plant elephant ears for the leaves. You can also eat them.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eColocasia esculenta\u003c\/em\u003e is the plant your neighbors will assume you hired someone to install. Heart-shaped leaves the size of a serving platter, on stalks that run four to seven feet by late summer. It fills a shaded corner, screens a fence line, or anchors a patio pot better than anything else you can plant from a bulb.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIt is also taro. The same root that feeds more people worldwide than most crops you could name. Gabi in the Philippines, dasheen in the Caribbean, kalo in Hawaii, cocoyam in West Africa. You dig it in fall, after the foliage has done its work all summer.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThat's the case for this plant in one sentence. It's the rare thing in a garden that pays you twice.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eWhat you get for the money\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e3 bulbs, $13.50\u003c\/strong\u003e ($4.50 each)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e10 bulbs, $20.96\u003c\/strong\u003e ($2.10 each)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e15 bulbs, $24.00\u003c\/strong\u003e ($1.60 each)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e25 bulbs, $27.50\u003c\/strong\u003e ($1.10 each)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eTwenty-five bulbs cost about twice what three cost. If you're planting a border, a privacy row, or a real food patch rather than a single container, take the larger count. The math stops making sense at the small end.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eWhat actually arrives\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eLive bulbs, packed the same day they ship. Depending on the season you'll get dormant bulbs, or bulbs that have already broken dormancy with visible shoots. Both plant the same way and both come up. A dormant bulb planted in May catches a sprouted one by July.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eBotanically these are corms rather than true bulbs. They're solid all the way through instead of layered like an onion. The trade calls them bulbs and so do we, but you'll see both words used for the same thing.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eEvery bulb is picked by hand from that week's stock, sized, checked and packed by us, not repackaged by a fulfillment center that has never seen the plant. We don't ship dried-out bulbs from a bin. That's the whole reason this listing exists.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eHow to grow it\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWait until your soil is genuinely warm. After your last frost, not the week of it. Cold soil is the one thing that will stall this plant.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003ePlant four to six inches deep in rich soil, blunt end down. Full sun to partial shade both work, and more sun means bigger leaves if you keep up with the water. Shoots usually break ground in one to three weeks once the soil warms.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThen water it more than you think. Taro grows wild at pond edges and in flooded paddies. A low spot that stays soggy and kills everything else is exactly where this plant wins. Feed it during active growth and the leaves get noticeably larger.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn zone 8 and warmer, leave the bulbs in the ground over winter and the clump comes back bigger. Colder than that, lift them after the first frost blackens the leaves, dry them a few days, and store them somewhere that doesn't freeze.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eHow to eat it\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eHarvest after frost knocks the tops down, or any time the plant is mature. The main corm is the prize. The smaller offsets around it (cormels) are next year's planting stock, so save a few.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTaro must be cooked.\u003c\/strong\u003e Every part of the raw plant contains calcium oxalate and will burn your mouth. This is not a plant you sample in the garden. Boil, steam, roast or fry it and it's excellent. Nuttier and drier than a potato, and it holds its shape in a stew where a potato would fall apart. The young leaves are eaten cooked too, in dishes like laing and callaloo.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eCommon questions\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIs elephant ear the same thing as taro?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eYes. \u003cem\u003eColocasia esculenta\u003c\/em\u003e is sold as an ornamental elephant ear and eaten as taro. Same plant, two markets. Some other plants called elephant ear are different species and are not edible.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCan you eat elephant ear plants?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eYou can eat this one, cooked. Raw taro contains calcium oxalate and will irritate your mouth and throat. Cooking breaks it down. Never eat any part of it raw.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHow deep do you plant taro bulbs?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFour to six inches deep, blunt end down, in warm soil after your last frost.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHow long until they sprout?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eUsually one to three weeks once soil is warm. Cold soil delays it, sometimes by several weeks.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDo they come back every year?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn zone 8 and warmer, yes, and the clump gets larger each season. In colder zones, lift the bulbs after the first frost and store them somewhere frost-free until spring.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHow much sun and water do they need?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFull sun to partial shade, and more water than most garden plants. They are happiest in ground that stays consistently wet.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003ePlant facts\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBotanical name:\u003c\/strong\u003e Colocasia esculenta\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eAlso known as:\u003c\/strong\u003e taro, gabi, dasheen, cocoyam, kalo, poi, green elephant ear\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eForm:\u003c\/strong\u003e Corm, sold and shipped as a bulb\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMature height:\u003c\/strong\u003e 4 to 7 feet\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSunlight:\u003c\/strong\u003e Full sun to partial shade\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWater:\u003c\/strong\u003e High. Thrives in wet ground and at pond edges\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePlanting depth:\u003c\/strong\u003e 4 to 6 inches, blunt end down\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSprouting:\u003c\/strong\u003e Typically 1 to 3 weeks in warm soil\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eHardiness:\u003c\/strong\u003e Perennial in zone 8 and warmer. Lift and store in colder zones\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eClimate:\u003c\/strong\u003e Tropical, sub-tropical, and temperate summers\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eEdible parts:\u003c\/strong\u003e Corm and young leaves, cooked only, never raw\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eHarvest:\u003c\/strong\u003e Fall, after the foliage dies back\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eShipping:\u003c\/strong\u003e Free shipping\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eOur guarantee\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIf there's a problem with your order, call or text us at (760) 835-8711 and we'll send a replacement or refund it, whichever you'd rather have. No time limit, and nothing to mail back. That's my personal line and I answer it myself.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWe don't publish germination percentages, because nobody can honestly promise what your soil and your weather will do. What we promise is that the bulbs leave here alive and healthy, packed the same day they ship, and that if something goes wrong we take care of it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFree shipping. Order the count that fits your patch: 3, 10, 15 or 25 bulbs.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Greenhouse PCA","offers":[{"title":"3","offer_id":42857725231331,"sku":"GHP-TARO-03","price":13.5,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"10","offer_id":42857725264099,"sku":"GHP-TARO-10","price":20.96,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"15","offer_id":42857725296867,"sku":"GHP-TARO-15","price":24.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"25","offer_id":42857725329635,"sku":"GHP-TARO-25","price":27.5,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0645\/1458\/8899\/products\/3.jpg?v=1652298642"},{"product_id":"giant-elephant-ear-bulbs-colocasia-gigantea","title":"Malanga Blanca (Xanthosoma sagittifolium)","description":"\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFresh Packed Live Malanga Blanca Bulbs\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eMalanga Blanca \u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e(\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eXanthosoma sagittifolium)\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003e grows into a plant that looks like a \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cb\u003egiant elephant ear\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan\u003e or \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cb\u003eIndian taro\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, is a 1.5–3 m tall herb with a large, fibrous corm,\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e producing at its apex a whorl of large tropical leaves.  T\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003ehe leaf stalk is used as a vegetable in some areas in Southeast Asia\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 class=\"a-size-base-plus a-text-bold\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eAbout this item\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul class=\"a-unordered-list a-vertical a-spacing-mini\"\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBotanical Name:  \u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e \u003cspan\u003eXanthosoma sagittifolium\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCommon Name:  Malanga Blanca\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePlant Form:  Bulb \/ Corm\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSunlight:  Partial Sun\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePlant Characteristics: Tuber\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eClimate:  Sub-tropical, Tropical\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHeight:  5-7 Feet Tall\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGermination Time: 4-7 Weeks\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-list-item\"\u003e100% Satisfaction Guarantee from Greenhouse PCA\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-list-item\"\u003eFree Shipping\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Greenhouse PCA","offers":[{"title":"1","offer_id":42857833955555,"sku":"","price":17.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"3","offer_id":42857833988323,"sku":"","price":31.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"6","offer_id":42857834021091,"sku":"","price":44.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0645\/1458\/8899\/files\/Colorful_Square_Website_Logos_1.png?v=1751166544"}],"url":"https:\/\/greenhousepca.com\/collections\/taro-elephant-ear.oembed","provider":"Greenhouse PCA","version":"1.0","type":"link"}