Colocasia gigantea 'Thai Giant'

[Amberforce]

Hi All

Just to let you know that I managed to purchase the Colocasia Gigantea Thailand Giant Strain from the link sent by countrylover. It's from Germany - The plant was 8 euros and the shipping was 15 euros. They still have one in stock if anyone is interested.
I hope I can have some success in growing it!! Does anyone know how big I can expect it to grow in our climate in the UK?

Thanks again.

[SteveW]

Well done on getting the Thai giant!
As for size,Kentgardener John managed to get his to well over a metre last year.
The pup he gave me is doing well,but nowhere near that size yet,but there's still more than enough growing time left to get near that

[countrylover]

......I still believe they'll send it to you.....

What did I tell you
Good luck with it.
I tell you in secret they send very nice strong plants, grown i normal potting soil no peat or something. Bought from this seller many times and always was really pleased with them plants.

[Scott Radford]

Fatastic link countrylover

I just got two off of them -a 33cm and a 50cm - 41 euros with shipping just perfect

[countrylover]

If you're after some rare exotics watch this seller frequently.
I got from them Xanthosoma violacea and saggitifolium, ZZ, passiflora seeds-all germinated and... I can't really remember.

[Scott Radford]

yes that's a good one thanks for the heads up on that. I got some Xanthosoma rhizomes earlier this year but I am not at all impressed by the plants I got. I brought actual plants back with me from Madeira, and having grown violaceum before I know what it looks like. Nice green leaves on dusty deep purple stems.

NEITHER LOT ARE Xanthosoma violaceum.

Three have dark stems and green leaves with reddish veins - I think they're actually Colocasia burgandy stem, Dave's probably best to give his opinion on them as he knows the colouration exactly of burgandy stem.

And as for the other three - they're a joke - not even dark coloured once they've emerged they're green, and not saggitifolium - they're no Xanthosoma at all. I actually think they're simply Colocasia esculenta. I'll put a picture on here tomorrow of the plants that I brought back from Madeira, next to my home grown violaceum and these others - all the same plant? Some people clearly should not be selling them as they don't know what they're talking about!

But then again I was sent Colocasia Black magic rhizomes as well I'll show you what these three plants look like now - and you've guessed it - they sure as hell aren't black magic either. Highly unimpressed


EDIT

Dave OK fair enough that this is a public forum, but these people sell to the public so I don't think they should not be allowed to know.

Anyway here come the pictures and you'll maybe understand why I'm not happy. First off Xanthosoma violaceum brought back from Madeira in April at the front behind what a northern seller sold me as that plant

now a true X. violaceum

the false one I believe is Colocasia burgandy stem, what say you Dave?

here is the difference in the stems, dark purple for the Xanthosoma at the front - just dark for the one behind

now onto the other seller here's the three 'Black Magic' sent to me alongside some I already have (that actually are black magic)

A close up of the imposters, can anyone tell me what they actually are?

the best thing is as we can see from this picture of the stems of two of them - they aren't even the same plant let alone all black magic!

and here are his 'Xanthosoma violaceum' as we can see dark to begin with

but the leaf opens decidely green and not a Xanthosoma leaf

and here's the largest of those sat in the pond - looking more like standard Colocasia esculenta every day. So why should I be happy paying 7 quid for this plant when i could have got it from Asda for around 30p?

[countrylover]

Glad you found my link useful.
Good job I didn't order anything from them then, though I was tempted.
I prefer to buy on ebay. Noone wants to get a negative feedback so they send proper stuff. Sometimes you pay more but you always get what you pay for. I really recommend German sellers. Done dozens of transactions and never been disappointed. Can't say a bad word about British ones.

[nicebutdim]

They do speak English.
I might be going back to Germany in few weeks time and buy it for you and myself. If not, I could buy it and my mate would bring it to me from Krautsland. I'll give him a bell and ask when he's gonna visit Poland again.
I still believe they'll send it to you.
BTW what colocasia this may be?:

Hi Marcin,
The pic you show is just a regular esculenta.The german nursery pic is not the Thai Giant Strain,I have two ,one large and a small one I'm fattening up for Ebay.The leaves are rather like gigantea but more pointed at the non pointed end.Mine came from the states two years ago and struggle through the winter but did produce a pup last year.Is now into it's third leaf,tried to get some more but the system is getting very tight to avoid,if you know what I mean.My large one grew very well last year but got knocked about in the winter,and slowly producing leaves,it was doing well inside until I disturbed it by taking it outside,where it prefers to be.

[Amberforce]

Oh dear, I hope that this doesn't mean that what they have sent me is NOT in fact the Thai Giant. I will post a pic when I receive it so you can let me know.
When will your smaller one be fat enough for Ebay, just in case????

[Scott Radford]

They do speak English.
I might be going back to Germany in few weeks time and buy it for you and myself. If not, I could buy it and my mate would bring it to me from Krautsland. I'll give him a bell and ask when he's gonna visit Poland again.
I still believe they'll send it to you.
BTW what colocasia this may be?:

Hi Marcin,
The pic you show is just a regular esculenta.The german nursery pic is not the Thai Giant Strain,I have two ,one large and a small one I'm fattening up for Ebay.The leaves are rather like gigantea but more pointed at the non pointed end.Mine came from the states two years ago and struggle through the winter but did produce a pup last year.Is now into it's third leaf,tried to get some more but the system is getting very tight to avoid,if you know what I mean.My large one grew very well last year but got knocked about in the winter,and slowly producing leaves,it was doing well inside until I disturbed it by taking it outside,where it prefers to be.

Well won't that be fantastic if these ebay plants from germany are not thai giant. I have two on the way!!!

[countrylover]

I don't know what Thai Giant looks like cuz I never grew one. But I've noticed that colocasias when young looks really different than adult ones. Take that Black Magic. Young pups usually have green leaves and look like a completely different variety.
If they sell something different, then people who bought them plants should make a complaint to the seller about it. And everyone who bought plants from the link I gave you and they happen not to be true Thai Giants I do apologize
You say that my plant is plain esculenta. I'll surprise you. I got it from one of our forum's member and the lable said - Colocasia Gigantea. Now should it be Colocasia gigantea or Colocasia esculenta 'Gigantea'
And if its just C esculenta thay means I've been diddled

BTW how much for a skinny Thai Giant???

[SteveW]

Well the eBay pics look like my Thai giant and I also grow gigantea so can tell te difference between both.
My Thai one came from Kentgardener John last year when I visited him. We took it straight from the mother plant that was immense in size. His plant originally came from brians botanicals when they used to ship to us,before people over here started giving them grief over their orders

[countrylover]

Amberforce and Scott when you get your plants take some photos of them and email to LariAnn Garner from Aroidia Research. You should find the answer what you got then
PS
Scott you promised us pics of your these-are-not-Xanthosomas

[SteveW]

a couple of pics of both gigantea and thai strain giant,maybe they'll help you all decide whats what

Thai strain giant

Colocasia gigantea

gigantea

[nicebutdim]

Amberforce and Scott when you get your plants take some photos of them and email to LariAnn Garner from Aroidia Research. You should find the answer what you got then
PS
Scott you promised us pics of your these-are-not-Xanthosomas

LariAnn only deals with alocasia not colocasia .