Clump of 5 Taro planted together. It gives the appearance
of a more mature plant as the leave grow quickly,
but suckers take time.
The green form of Colocasia grows to about 4 feet in the UK with leaves about 18 inch by 12 inch, and forms a small clump by the end of the season.
The Common Taro is widely grown as a food crop in many part of tropical Aisa. It's mainly the rhizome that is eaten, but all parts of the plant contain toxins when raw. It has to be cooked well before being eaten.
I bought my first rhizomes in 2004 from a Tropical Plant specialist company, and started them off with bottom heat. Then I found they were available from the local supermarket called Eddoes, with the Yams priced by the Kg. These were a bit more difficult to sprout, but were readily available at an edible price... a bit like buying a bag of potatos.
Young Colocasia esculenta - Common Taro
The Rhizomes sprout readily given bottom heat, and can grow roots 15cm long in a week, before top growth appears. Left in the heat the second leaf reaches about a foot (30cm tall). They like boggy ground with plenty of nutrients. Like Bananas, they are gross feeders, requireing a constant supply.
In warmer climates thay are used in the filtration systems for Koi ponds as they suck out every last drop of nitrate, keeping the water clearer. So you feed your fish, and your fish feed the Colocasias.
They can overwinter in a cool greenhouse, but in the UK an unheated greenhouse will cause them to go dormant. If this happens cut every last scrap of fleashy leaf material off. to avoid rot. I have tried leaving some in the ground but they have all rotted through so far. The ground just remains too damp for them. This is not the case for all Colocasias, as Burgundy Stem seems to be a good contender for leaving in the ground. See Burgundy Stem Page.
Good fast growing plant, needs lashings of water, but the collar of the plant needs to be kept dryish.