Colocasia Black Pearl!!

Over the last 10 years or so I have been testing out cold hardy tropicals and this new Colocasia has shown some very promising results. I have tested it out now for 2 to 3 years and though others do make it and make it well this one has shown to produce the largest tubers of any I have over wintered. Some larger than softballs and over 1 foot long.

The plant looks oddly similar to Illustrius when young and as it matures the leaves green up but leaves a dark dot right in the center of each leaf. This being the reason it is called Black Pearl.

The plant has grown up to 6 feet tall last year and sends out tons of runners.

It seems to be just as hardy or hardier than Pink China and Big dipper. A very exciting find.

That is a really nice one, it is great that you continue to find and breed more hardy tropicals (Hardy Tropicals would be a great forum, I think).

I have a green running elephant ear (only name I know of), that also has a little purple dot in the center, not as big as that. I have no good pics right now, it's just beginning to come up, but I put a piece into my little water tub garden and it seems to be okay with no dirt or anything, just hanging out in water. Because of the purple dot and runners, I wonder if they are relatives? I will try to post a pic soon.

Brian-
It's a beaut!
ROX

Nice leaves...... good job.

Beauty. Want one. :)
Deb

Oh, good, a new one for my wish list. The pink china I got last fall is growing great, I'll attempt to overwinter it outside this year.... Really pretty, Brian. I like that black dot!

Lost my China Pink 2 winters running. I assume it's not well enough protected (despite the past 2 winters here in the DC area being overly mild) or the soil stays too moist over the winter. Been a real bummer. Any ideas, Brian? (I bought them from you in the first place, and last year's I got at a local nursery ... it was cool seeing one of your hybrids commercially available at a local place o business!

I think I lost mine as well, but very good news...I potted up ~50 small corms of 5 varieties of colocasia (red stem, fontanesii, big dipper, and pink china, chicago harlequin).

All the Pink China (5 pots) survived storage in my unheated garage this winter. The only other ones to make it were 3 of 10 big dippers.

So it does appear that they are more winter hardy.

I have a feeling that this cruel freeze thaw cycling (once in the Fall and again in the Spring) did in a bunch or corms. So, I will try to overwinter the Pink China again this winter.

ROX

I like that one too.

Pink Chinas lost! I have to say out of all the hardy tropicals Colocasia Pink China has shown to be by far the hardiest tropical I grow. In fact it is a weed in most areas of my gardens.

Here are the main reasons I can think of that they could have died

Wet in winter- or sitting in a wet spot were they will rot.
No mulch specially the first year?
Starting to late. If your tropical plant does not get close to full size in one season something is usually wrong. In most cases its over fertilizeing or lack of water.

I have seen this far to many times when someone fertilizes a sick or unhealthy plant. It burns the roots and causes rotting. Or it burns the roots and stunts the growth.

Over all Pink China has been much more durable for me than even Musa Basjoo which has shown to also be very hardy.

I'll agree with you there. I had a l7 degree night one night, and didn't take in any of the ee's. pink china and coffee cups came back. along with quite a few others.