This was sold to me as Xanthosoma Blue Giant years ago. This is the first year it is doing really well. I really love the dark leaves.
X. Blue Giant
Oh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Very pretty. If it ever has pups keep me in mind; would love to arrange a trade.
ROX
This is Xanthosoma Atroverins Blue Giant. I had them huge about 7 years ago but sense then they have failed to get giant. I am not sure if it is the cooler summers or to much wind but they have not gotten near as large as past years.
I am in Florida Zone 9B and and I have had the same problem growing Blue Giant to where it gets large. Generally it stays about 2 ft tall. Cool summers are not a factor here...wind maybe. I don't know. It is one of the first ones to go dormant every year, so this year I will try and protect it from the cooler weather and see what it does next year. Right now it is 4 ft tall. I do have a single plant in another part of my garden that is taller.
Rox, it is very, very prolific. You can see in my garden where I have tried it in different places and/or placed pups to try them in various places...as I have pups everywhere. Will email you separately tonight after work.
Thanks!
OK I know this thread is fairly old but I thought it was funny everyone has had the same experience with this Xanthosoma. I ordered mine from JD Anderson back in 2000 i believe. It was one of the first aroids I put in my greenhouse and in the first year got Huge. Same with X. violeceum (which got nearly 8 ft. tall). Since then, both X. atrovirens "blue giant" and X. violeceum rarely get over 2 ft. tall. I finally got a X. maffafa to decent size this year in the garden. Perhaps because it was such a hot, dry summer, (they tend to melt when it is cooler and wetter.)
That is a very nice looking plant! That's a nice variegate peeking out from behind it too. :)
How did I miss it? It IS beautiful! A patient person is every gardener.
I have had the same problem with X. Maffafa as well. The picture is my mother plant. Pups from this plant for the last 2 years have gotten only 2 ft tall. I am not going to let X. Blue Giant go dormant this year and see what happens next year.
I have a little crowding going on there in the picture with X. Blue Giant. If you look through the leaves of BG you can see Alocasia Lutea. In front of that is an Alocasia Cuprea and then you can see the X. Atrovirens albo marginata in the background. I need to move some things around and am running out of shady areas.
