Elephant Ears in The Tropical Paradise

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The elephant ears are growing well. I've planted many types of colocasia, but these are the only ones that survive and thrive here. They all came from tiny cuttings that I took from a friend's yard in Los Angeles many years ago, and they just love it here. I cut them back very hard and fertilize heavily.

I planted them in several places in The Tropical Paradise and the only place that they really like is the east-facing wall by the dining room. This exposure gives them just a bit of morning sun and lots of afternoon shade. It's also the wettest part of my garden, by virtue of the water sprayers giving the most volume, and during the rainy season, right now, they are on the drip line from the roof, so the ground stays wet all of the time, which caladiums like.

Underneath the elephant ears is a very healthy patch of Ajuga reptans (carpet bugle). I saw a lot of it growing well this past weekend at the arboretum in Flagstaff and it doesn't seem to mind the 100+ temperatures here. It also loves water. You can also see the Canna Tropicannas, which are growing like wildfire now, some stalks over six feet tall now. The harder I cut them back, the more beautiful they grow.


I just found out today that I have been calling these plants caladiums, and they are not. They are Colocasia.

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