Need advice - Is there a "mannerly" elephant ear?

I liked the look of the yard in the picture, below, and want to create a similar setting in my own yard. I was told that the large, elephant-ear-looking plants might be Xanthasoma sagittifolium or an alocasia.

After reading about the Xanthasoma and similar plants, I am worried that these things, although beautiful, might be invasive.

Not being educated about elephant-ear-type plants, I am asking if anyone knows of a "mannerly" plant of this sort that will not jump out of the flower bed and take over the yard?

Thanks! -- Jean

Try alocasia Calidora or Californica..they stay shorter and tend to clump but not RUN like colocasias.

I am flattered that you copied a picture of my back yard. It would have been nice for you to have given credit.

Just how did you copyright a photo that of my yard that I took?

This message was edited Mar 24, 2004 11:04 AM

I knew I recognized your yard,Sweetpea,could not remember whos' it was,I was going to surf threads to try to find it.
A picture like that does deserve credit,I believe it was an oversight,there is another thread in ID forum here explaining it.
This is one of my favorite pictures,please look in the ID forum,we were trying to ID your great looking Ears.
Root.


Sorry,forgot your link.
http://davesgarden.com/t/422262/

This message was edited Mar 24, 2004 9:08 AM

This message was edited Mar 24, 2004 9:09 AM

cclou -- Please accept my sincerest apology. I saved that picture because I fell in love with the setting as soon as I saw it and wanted to remember what it looked like so that I might create something similar in my own back yard. Here in Louisiana, I am longing for something cool and shady and tropical-looking as a respite from the devastating summer heat. This setting simply delighted my eyes! Perfect in form and composition.

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but I was wrong to post the picture without credit -- but I could not remember where I got the picture. I am so sorry!

You are to be commended for creating such a lovely oasis. May I ask the name of the 'upright' elephant ears in the picture? And if they are invasive?

Again, please accept my apologies.

(P.S. -- To save any picture, all that is necessary is to 'right-click' and choose 'save' -- which is what I had done).

Edited to add:

I didn't Copyright the photo. It was the automatic stamping when one uploads a photo. I was unaware that one could remove that feature, but found out, and just now changed that.


This message was edited Mar 24, 2004 11:20 AM

Sure is a magnificent EE, cclou..........wish I had some of those outstanding Corpus conditions up here........I dearly love Corpus Christi!!!! Y'all have some awesome tropical gardens down there!! Never seen such huge bourgainvillas in my life, not to mention the Hibiscus!!

"eyes"

I think it is an utmost compliment for someone to save your picture because they so loved it and wanted to duplicate it. :) Other pictures have been taken for financial gain and representation of something they may or may not even have. It is a wonderful photo and a fine example of the plants in your climate. Oh what I would give for that zone!!!

Hi Jean,
I will be in Belle Chase next week. Any chance of meeting me for lunch? I can give you a nice EE that is "mannerly". It is too big for me to mail. I also have some other plants that you might like. Let me know.

Oh Lisa, when are you going to be in Cincinnati??? LOL

LOL Seed, just too cold up there for me. Everything on me would freeze and break off...LOL.

LOL Hey, it is a balmy 56!! Come on up, we'll get ya a sweat suit. :)

Lisa, I'd love to get together for lunch! I will send you an e-mail through DG with 'Jean' in the title so you'll know it's me. And an EE from your garden would be a cherished pass-along plant. Thank you!

My EE's are run of the mill escuelentas. The way to have huge EE's is plant them in full sun and apply lots of water and food. I use Miracle Gro tomato food on both the EE's and bananas (23% potassium). The have not proved to be invasive. I have pulled up and given away lots of pups.

My Royal Poinciana is leafing out and the bananas are putting out like crazy after being chopped down. In a month or so the back yard jungle will be beautiful again.

I am posting another picture from last summer.

Mater food?? Guess I'd better not plant them with my caladiums then, huh?

"eyes"

I would never have thought to use the Miracle-Gro tomato food on my bananas. Thanks!

I have the banana trees already (and the large clump of them has three or four big bunches of bananas on them), so I'll ask DH to transplant some of them to that awful-looking, back corner of the yard after we get it cleared, and also plant with some of those gorgeous EE's.

I am thinking of under-planting those with some caladiums and bird-of-paradise. I think the bird-of-paradise can tolerate some shade, but am not sure. They have been sitting in pots since last summer, some in full sun and some in partial shade, and they all look good.

And I have three plumeria "sticks" that are just now sprouting new leaves. Since I believe those like full-sun, I'm thinking of planting those to the sides.

I'm excited about this project. We will be installing a wooden fence shortly. Although I don't believe that I can attain the look that cclou has created, if I come anywhere close, I'll still be pleased and happy every time I see it.

This is what I am starting with, so you can understand how I am willing to wait, even for a couple of years, for this area to develop:

I have bananas, EE's with variagated shell ginger in front with a huge split leaf philodendron on one side. Last year I had caladiums also, but they got overwhelmed by the EE's.

cclou:

Your yard is beautiful and I've decided that I'd like to live there. LOL http://davesgarden.com/t/404339/
I'd love to see new photographs of your yard this year.

Hi Sweetpea, Chalmette is not far from Gulfport; come on over and I will give you lots of ees and nanas. Our temperature is excellent for growing these things.