Rethinking Elephant Ears in my creek next year

[CountryEscape]

Yep, the black taro is not dead, just hurting. I even put the smaller elephant ear plants (from my big pot of plants that I had in the basement) in the stream in small pots. There are 3 of them (in pots, which I will do differently eventually) and 2 of them have new leaves, one is still looking droopy, but I'm sure it will also get a new leaf. I didn't bring them in from the frosts, but they all survived. Other larger ones are in the bog, also growing. Can't wait for my bog plants to really take off, both for viewing pleasure, but mostly for filtering help.

 

[sissy]

The bigger bulbs you should share with friends and neighbors and co workers people just love to get them free .The bigger the bulb the more they are worth .I saw them being sold on a garden sight for 50 dollars and they were the size of a beach ball .

 

[HARO]

Country; FYI, taro and elephant ear are the same plant. Taro comes in a variety of colours (green, black, violet-stemmed and mottled). The rootstock of the common green variety is used as a food in warmer countries, and is the main ingredient in Hawaiian poi. All belong to the genus Colocasia and species esculenta. Another plant occasionally sold in the trade is Alocasia macrorrhiza, also known as Giant Taro. It's leaves get up to 6' long, and the stems will turn woody in warm climates.
John

 

[CountryEscape]

Thanks for pointing that out, John. I always saw taro referred to the smaller varieties, so figured taro meant it was smaller. I've seen those other proper names often.
I think I'm going to have a "tropical" area, with banana trees (one is supposed to be hardy, we shall see ...) and different color elephant ear plants.

 

[sissy]

I have several kinds of elephant ears from mini to black and love them and cannas and bananas .They give such a pretty tropical look .

 

[j.w]

A tropical garden would be cool. One could put in Chinese Windmill Palm, Banana Trees, Taros, Canna,s, Calla lilies etc. Any other ideas? Oh you'd have to have a pool of water in there of some sort too!

 

[sissy]

I am adding in more silver and white to mine .I added lambs ear and dusty miller and artimesia and it pulls out all the green from my palms and now have added the dark cannas and black elephant ear .

 

[CountryEscape]

Well, I ordered a red banana and green banana tree, (1 of each), 2 more black taro, 2 green and burgandy taro/elephant ear, 1 green and white verigated elephant ear. Then I already have cannas starting in my bog, planning to move some day lilies to the bog. Never have thought of trying the calla lilies, would they grow in the bog? I've never had luck with them in the ground, maybe the bog would work! Does anyone know if callas work in a bog? I know the calla's have to be brought in for the winter here, but I'll have others to do that with so might as well have more. LOL
Sissy, I bout 1 lambs ear plant this spring, separated it into about 3 plants, and have a Dusty Miller (actually 4) plant that lived through our mild winter. It is about 3' in diameter! Taking up far more area than intended, but I figure the big guy made it through the winter, it deserves to use as much space as necessary. LOL

 

[addy1]

Calla's can live in the bogs, there are aquatic ones, not sure if there is a difference from "normal" ones

 

[CountryEscape]

Hmm ... then I think I'll check them out, since bulbs are pretty cheap and will be on sale here soon, if not already. If they say they need to be kept very moist, that's usually what I use as my guess that they can go in the bog.

 

[taherrmann4]

A tropical garden would be cool. One could put in Chinese Windmill Palm, Banana Trees, Taros, Canna,s, Calla lilies etc. Any other ideas? Oh you'd have to have a pool of water in there of some sort too!

The only problem is that you have to dig all these up in the winter unless you live in a tropical area.

 

[j.w]

Tmann I don't have to dig up my Windmill palm, banana tree, Calla lilies and some kinds of the Taro (don't have any yet of the hardy taro). But the Canna would have to be brought in or the bulbs stored indoors overwinter. We get some cold here but not terrible.
The Chinese Windmill Palm is hardy in China where it gets quite cold but while the little ones are young you need to protect them during really cold weather w a cover. When larger they can take the cold and only suffer some damage to the fronds. Love the one I have and it's been outside for a few yrs now. It's two siblings didn't make it during a cold winter when I didn't cover them for few cold days. I raised them from seed I got from the Seattle zoo so it was sad to lose the little buggers!

 

[taherrmann4]

what zone are you calla lillies hardy to? I have only been able to find the ones hardy to zone 8. You have any pics of your windmill palm?

 

[j.w]

Calla lilies I have are hardy zone 8 but I am in zone 7 and they come back every year making more and more. In your zone 6 prolly won't survive but might be worth a try. I don't mulch mine but maybe if you did they would come back.
The Chinese Windmill palm says hardy to zone 7. Mine is still young but my friend up the road has an 8ft one or better. They can get up to 30ft tall and 6 - 10ft wide.

Here is my little one:

Here are my Calla lilies............I have white and yellow ones but only have a pic of the white ones:

Here is a photo of a big one growing in Seattle:

 

[CountryEscape]

OMG, that huge palm looks like it belongs in FL! I like yours better, it's much cuter. LOL
I bought 8 calla lilies, got them all in the bog. Will see if they grow, or rot. Everything I've put in the bog that needs to be lifted in the winter is in a pot, so easy to find. Things that can stay out, took them out of the pots. And, this winter, instead of keeping the plants alive in the basement, which did not work very well, I'm going to let them go dormant, die back, and only keep the roots, bulbs, whatever for next year. Even kept the sawdust that the calla lilies came in. LOL
Also got 4 lotus tubers that I ordered (bought on Ebay) so have 4 very large pots set out by the ponds. The way I figure it is with the lotus, which I know are supposed to be hardy, but they also say cannot be frozen solid, if they need to come into the garage, it will be easy to do. I have a 1.5 car garage (actually fits 2, but I have things on the sides, and only one car LOL) so plenty of room to store them on inside wall. Garage is insulated, so never freezes in there. Banana trees can come inside in their pots, too. Found some really neat pots, look like ceramic, but are plastic. They will go on the deck, up against the house when weather is threatening. Don't have them yet, nor the pretty elephant ear bulbs.
JW, I love how you put your irises in between the rocks on the edge. I can do that on the goldfish pond and may try it on the koi pond in some of the places. Never thought of that, and may not work, but I think it might. My edge is not as well planned out as yours. Goldfish pond I left more ledge to place the rocks on, though.
So, T'Man, if you want some tropical plants next year (elephant ears mainly, maybe others who knows) just let me know. I'll likely have plenty when it comes to lifting tubers, bulbs, roots, etc. for the winter.