History and ID - Colocasia HTUK Mammoth
Posted: Sun Apr 03, 2011 7:59 am
I am referring to the Colocasia esculenta I have as 'HTUK Mammoth' as there are others for sale with that name at the moment, at a huge price, but I have no way of knowing if they are actually the same plant.
There has been speculation that the Colocasia HTUK Mammoth is actually Jack's Giant. I have both the Wilko's Colocasia esculenta sold as Alocasia back in 2007/8 and nick named here as 'mammoth', and Jack's Giant, and can say they are easily distinguished apart.
The HTUK Mammoth has pink leaf bases, shoots and roots, where as they are snow white in Jack's Giant.
The leaves between the two are very similar. With Jack's Giant reputed to have larger leaves, however, here it has not been the case. My suspicion is that Jack's Giant needs more heat to do it's best, where as 'HTUK Mammoth' is happy in cooler conditions. Also where as 'HTUK Mammoth' continues stay green down to freezing, Jack's Giant in the same conditions dies off and mushes the top of the rhizome.
My 'HTUK Mammoth' planted by the north facing house wall has survived 4 winters now ans has just come back after near -10C in That December (2010).
It does however need to be put into perspective. The position next to the wall will give good protection even with no sun (north facing) The tops are killed off in the first hard frosts, and the rhizomes are mulched under it's own leaves to a depth of about 5cm. Also this position will be drier as partially under the eaves. More exposed plants in the back garden are lifted before the tops are killed by frost, potted and overwintered green in the frost free poly, or the conservatory, depending on space.
The other good point about 'HTUK Mammoth' is that it recovers well each summer here with no sun, so not a warm microclimate, in fact one of the coolest parts of the garden.
Nov 2008
Nov 2009
Nov 2010
and here making an appearance in early April 2011, so not only has it survived December 2010, it is about a month earlier to show in 2011 
There has been speculation that the Colocasia HTUK Mammoth is actually Jack's Giant. I have both the Wilko's Colocasia esculenta sold as Alocasia back in 2007/8 and nick named here as 'mammoth', and Jack's Giant, and can say they are easily distinguished apart.
The HTUK Mammoth has pink leaf bases, shoots and roots, where as they are snow white in Jack's Giant.
The leaves between the two are very similar. With Jack's Giant reputed to have larger leaves, however, here it has not been the case. My suspicion is that Jack's Giant needs more heat to do it's best, where as 'HTUK Mammoth' is happy in cooler conditions. Also where as 'HTUK Mammoth' continues stay green down to freezing, Jack's Giant in the same conditions dies off and mushes the top of the rhizome.
My 'HTUK Mammoth' planted by the north facing house wall has survived 4 winters now ans has just come back after near -10C in That December (2010).
It does however need to be put into perspective. The position next to the wall will give good protection even with no sun (north facing) The tops are killed off in the first hard frosts, and the rhizomes are mulched under it's own leaves to a depth of about 5cm. Also this position will be drier as partially under the eaves. More exposed plants in the back garden are lifted before the tops are killed by frost, potted and overwintered green in the frost free poly, or the conservatory, depending on space.
The other good point about 'HTUK Mammoth' is that it recovers well each summer here with no sun, so not a warm microclimate, in fact one of the coolest parts of the garden.
Nov 2008