I'd love to know where you get your Elephant Ear plants (mail order). I'd like to get several varieties at good prices...any suggestions are welcome!
Best source for Alocasia and Colocasia's
how many wich ones?
ely
Ebays a good source :>)
It can all depend on what your looking for. I would think pink china could survive your winters if you mulch her up. Good luck.
Oops! Should've mentioned I've got a greenhouse to overwinter them in!
elyearcrazy is a good source too. He's been getting them for me for a few years now. :)
brent and becky's is a good one too
ebay is expensive, for the common ears here there $5.00-8.00 with lots of pups, even the bulk is high. I don't see how you northerns keep them alive during the winter but hats off to you.
but for something past all the common stuff ebay has good stuff. I wouldn't go mail order they will ripp you off...
One time Chele told me she spent 12.00 on an odora bulb and I sent her about 20 of them but they were to drive her crazy....... =)
ely
Elyearcrazy,
If you've got some extra bulbs/pups and are willing to part I'll take anything...I don't have any plants to trade (moved and gave them all away) but I make awesome fudge! Or let me know what price you'd consider fair...
I don't have any right now but used to have (and loved)
Illistris
Hilo Beauty
Black Magic
Chicago?
Coffee Cup
so anything would be appreciated...
you got mail
ely
Ely, if you have extras of anything, any type, I'd be happy to trade with you.
MerryMary
Brian and other pros............I purchased one of those Wal-Mart bags with 10 ears (don't yell, Brian) just to have "the look". Typically, what kind of EE with these be? They were in good shape and as I opened the bag today I saw each was starting to grow and each decent sixe (about the sixe of softballs). So we'll see, but what kind do you think these are since I know they're just run of the mill?
Thanks,
Barbara
PS/ Brian, Amanda is looking good and doing more than peeking.
Those are usually Colocasia esculenta. On a good note, they do grow well and get big fast. Make sure to give them some shade or they will fry.
I'd like to find someone with one of those cool Xanthasoma they'd like to share or trade. All I'd have to trade is a Voo-Doo lily bulb. I bought a Xanthasoma from Brent and Becky's and I was VERY disappointed, it was so small, could hardly see it. I don't think I have ever bought anything from them that grew for me. I just hate buying anything from mail order anymore, because it just doesn't compare with what all the generous souls share from DG.
Which Xan are you looking for?
Badseed, I like that one with the chartreuse colored leaves, but I'd take anything as long as it gets BIG!!! LOL
AHA! Lime Zinger right? http://www.agristarts.com/xan_limezinger.htm That is the one plant I only have one of. I overwintered one as a houseplants and it's still only about 8" tall. LOL
If you go to an Asian food store and buy Malanga roots, you'll get these: http://www.msuplants.com/pd.asp?pid=2971 http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/MV090 http://www.soupsong.com/fmalanga.html Learned that little trick from Rootdoc.
If you just want the regular Colocasia esculenta, you can pick those up at Walmart. :)
Michele, the Xanthosoma grows here. Lots of houses have it as a foundation plant. I've noticed though that some get HUGE, like 10ft tall with leaves about 4ft long and others are not that big. Is it just the amount of fertilize and water they get or are they different species?(other than size, the plants are identical) Also there seems to be a little xanthosoma that is all green, and is less than two ft tall. When I ask about them the owners only know that they're elephant ears.
Alocasia gaganea(spelling? it is sold as California in nurseries), A. plumbea nigra and the little cucullata are others that are grown here and the clumps appear to be pretty old. I saw a large clump of cucullata that was probably 2 or 3 ft across! It would have been much prettier if the owner had watered it more, but it was still impressive.
Of course it does Susie! Go ahead and rub it in. LOL If I don't get away from dragging in and out 25 pound pots, I am really gonna regret it! LOL
I've grown Xanthosoma violaceum, robusta (robustum), sagittifolium, atrovirens albo marginata (mickey mouse-depending on who you ask), jeoquinii lineatum, Lime Zinger and I am trying to think which others. I've had the most difficulty with Lime Zinger and Mickey Mouse but I usually forget to bring them into the house and stick them in the garage. They don't like that so well. All of the others don't blink at being shoved in the garage for winter. The first three I mentioned have gotten very big for me. How long it takes depends on what size I started with and what part of the yard I put them in.
I don't know anything about this company but they have a decent rep of pictures and varieties. http://www.centralfloridafarms.com/xanthosoma.htm
I think I need to move to at least zone 7 or 8 to save my back! LOL
From those pictures, they look like X. sagittifolium. I think I'll go out and put some rabbit poo on mine!
What does X. robustum look like? I have all the Xanthosomas you mention except robustum. Violaceum gets huge as long as I remember to water it. Lime Zinger does good as long as I leave it alone(I am so bad about rearranging my beds). We won't talk about how many Mickey Mouses I have killed.
Alocasia Black Stem gets huge too, but goes dormant just at the mention of frost!
You need to move way far south, like zone 10. There is a lot of property for sale down this way.
Cala, perhaps you could nonchalontly abscond with an "offshoot" of one of those biggies some dark night and send it my way. LOL I have to look and see just which X. it is that looked so cool in the catalogue. Of course, they ALL look good in there. Too bad they don't sell them a decent size so us that buy have at least a fighting chance.
Anna, if it is Xanthosoma sagittifolium I have those. I think the location(protected side of house, lots of water, not in full sun) has something to do with the size. Mine are in full sun, I forget to water.......forget to fertilize.......they are abused and neglected. I've promised them I will do better this year.
I think I have pups on the sagittifolium if you want one.
Here is a leaf on the Xan robusta.
Cala, I put mine in the shade in LARGE (read: huge) pots and try to fertilize weekly when they are outside with 1T. per gallon of water with urea. They go berserk! Get huge too. I have probably posted this before, but will again, this was last summer; it's on the east side of the house so very little morning sun, then shade all the rest of the day.
Here are stems. Those stalks where the leaves split are almost navy blue. I had better pics that I took for Ely and I don't know where they are. New computer.....
Susie, I'd love to have that tropical climate but I don't think I could bear to give up seasons and my perennials and bulbs that need a nice winter.
I love that Robusta!!! Where did you find it?
I miss the seasons most when it is springtime up north and the daffodils, peonies, iris and things are blooming. I can't grow any of those(except I can grow LA iris and Japanese iris) ........Then I look around and think of how big of a greenhouse I'd have to have to put all my "stuff" in in the winter, and I'm pretty content.
Ummmm, they came from Hawaii............ :)
I have crocus blooming and buds on a ton of stuff. It has been in the 60s during the day and not too awful cold at night and the frogs sure are busy out there. LOL
Badseed is your Xanthosoma robusta a blue green. I have what i call Blue Giant that I have been trying to id for some time. I believe it is x. robusta
The ones I have, look more blue than the others. The only other thing that is completely different is that where the stalks split, they are streaked with a dark blue. I need to find my other pic.
The dark blue form is usually Xanthosoma atroverins Robusta has a bluish looking stem usually streaked with darker blues and sometimes purple and white. Atroverins can get huge but usually has to be in a pretty tropical spot for the summer and keep the pups off it or it turns into more a bush look rather than one monster plant.
Here is a pic of robusta stems.
Thanks Brian. I know I have better pics somewhere but we just got a new computer. LOL I've been sorting through pics, re-categorizing, having ones of the kids printed and tossing others, in my *spare* time. HA!
Back to the bulbs I bought at WalMart that are probably Colcasia Esculenta.........just planted them and the directions said plant 2"-3". I assume that would be the depth if they hadn't already started to grow? All mine are trying to start growing so I planted about 2 1/2" deep from where they would start growing and not counting the growth they started of about an inch. Is this correct?? If not, I better go find these in the am and plant correctly. What do you think? Thanks, Guys!