Araceae is a family of plants that includes more than 1,800 species, many of which are very similar in appearance to the elephant ears plant (Xanthosoma sagittifolium).
Provide tropical plants with large, elephant ear-like leaves with fertile, moist soil and a frost-free environment to ensure their survival.
Plants looking like Elephant Ears are: Caladium, Pink Symphony, Black Stem, Diamond Head, Rose Glow, Red Flash, Amazonica, and Ordora. Then there are the genuses for Elephant Ears – Alocasia, Colocasia, Xanthosoma,
Plants that Looks Like Elephant Ears
Elephant ears are a show-stopping plant to include in your garden bed; the foliage draws the attention of everyone who sees it and causes them to look twice.
Elephant ears, for example, are easily confused with other plants because of their large leaves, but they are native to the tropical region.
Elephant ears can be grown in various ways in your garden, depending on your preferences.
Plant their firm underground tubers in the garden or in containers with flowering and finely textured plants to create a dynamic display of color and texture.
It’s important to remember to dig up your tubers and bring them indoors if you live in a region where temperatures drop below freezing for more than a couple of days each winter.
Caladium
Elephant ears of the caladium variety are the ones that are most commonly found in garden nurseries. Plants in this category are hardy perennials in USDA zones eight to eleven.
The most crucial distinction to be aware of when it comes to Caladium varieties is a smaller species.
Some of the species only grow to be two feet tall, and their leaves are only eight to twelve inches in length on some of the specimens.
The majority of these cultivars do better when they are exposed to partial sunlight
Pink Symphony
Caladium Pink Symphony has pink and cream splotched leaves with green veins and a point at the end, and it is one of the easiest plants to grow.
These are smaller plants with shorter stems and fewer leaves than their larger counterparts.
It typically matures at 14 inches tall and 16 inches wide, making it a good candidate for container gardening.
‘Pink Symphony’ is a shade-loving plant that thrives in loose, well-draining soil. They are particularly effective in shady areas and as a garden accent.
Black Stem
Plants with stunning burgundy to black stems and arrow-shaped teal-blue leaves will emerge from the ground when you grow the Black Stem variety.
This variety can grow to be up to seven feet tall in a matter of months if given the proper conditions.
If you live in a colder climate, it is recommended that you grow Black Stem in a container in a warm, sheltered location.
Diamond Head
Colocasia Diamond Head produces broad, blue-black leaves with a smooth surface and a glossy sheen on the upper surface. Your garden will be illuminated as a result of their reflections.
Make sure to plant Diamond Head in full sunlight and provide plenty of moisture if you want the best-looking leaves possible.
At maturity, the plant grows three to four feet tall, with leaves that can grow up to two feet wide.
Rosy Glow and Rose Glow
Rosy Glow is an ornamental caladium cultivar with medium-green leaves with a bright, pink center and white edges around the pink center.
As the leaves mature, you’ll notice whiter veins developing along the central veins, increasing the contrast between the pink center and the rest of the leaf.
Rose Glow thrives in shady to partially shaded conditions. It does well as a houseplant if it is given plenty of direct sunlight.
Once fully grown, these plants can grow up to two feet tall and 14 inches wide at their maximum.
Red Flash
If you’re looking for a variety of vibrant leaves, Red Flash, also known as Angel Wings, has large, heart-shaped, olive-green leaves with bright, red veins and pink speckles that are ideal for container gardening.
Later, in the summer, calla-like flowers appear, but they are difficult to spot because these plants can grow up to three feet tall and two feet wide on average.
Red Flash is a Caladium variety that is more sun tolerant than other Caladium varieties.
You can use it as a border plant to add a splash of color, or you can grow it in containers.
They are also suitable for use as houseplants.
Amazonica
Amazonica is an elephant ear variety that is commonly grown as a houseplant. Its dark green, narrow-shaped leaves have wavy edges and are shaped like an elephant ear.
The leaves, which can grow up to two feet long and have creamy-white ribs and margins, are a striking feature of this plant.
The plant will occasionally produce yellow flowers that resemble calla lilies, but only rarely.
After reaching full maturity, the plant can reach up to three feet in height and thrives in part shade with rich, moist soil.
Odora
Depending on the variety, it can grow to be up to five feet tall with paddle-shaped leaves that are both attractive and large.
Odora is one of the more robust growers in the Alocasia family, and they’re also one of the few that can withstand the colder temperatures of zone 8 without difficulty.
Plants can grow to enormous proportions if they are given the proper conditions to thrive. Some of them can grow to be ten or fifteen feet tall.
The leaves are thick and durable, and as the plant grows in size, the stem takes on the shape of a trunk.
Genuses of Elephant Ears
Alocasia
It is estimated that 70 species of Alocasia plants grow as tropical herbs, most of which have large leaves in the shape of elephant ears or huge arrowheads.
Known for its taro paste, which is made by boiling the taro rhizome roots for an extended period, giant taro (Alocasia macrorrhizos) can grow as tall as 12 to 15 feet.
The length and width of the leaf blades range from 2 to 5 feet in length and width. The metallic taro (Alocasia plumbea), which has an industrial-looking appearance, has slightly smaller leaves that are dark glossy green, or bronze in color.
Colocasia
Planting Colocasia species in warm, wet soils near or in an ornamental pond is popular among gardeners. In some tropical locations around the world, these plants have the potential to spread their roots and become invasive weeds.
There are only a few species of Colocasia, the most well-known of which is the wild taro plant (Colocasia esculenta).
Many cultures in Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands rely on this plant’s tuber roots and leaves for their nutrition.
From an ornamental standpoint, the leaves are thin and large, and they are frequently marked with mottled spots or streaks on a petiole stem that is a contrasting color.
Colocasia gigantea is another species that grows to be quite large.
Xanthosoma
Unlike Alocasia and Colocasia, the botanical genus Xanthosoma contains nearly 70 herbs native to the New World Tropics, as opposed to the genus Alocasia and Colocasia.
These plants are frequently referred to as “arrowheads” to distinguish them from the Asian and Pacific varieties of taro.
Malanga (Xanthosoma maffafa) and arrowhead (Xanthosoma spp.) are two species that have particularly large leaves (Xanthosoma sagittifolium).
The leaves of the former can grow to be 2 to 5 feet in length. The sap is irritating to the skin and eyes, and any plant parts that are consumed must be thoroughly cooked before being consumed as well. Arrowheads can grow up to 9 feet in height.
Final Thoughts on Plants that Looks Like Elephant Ears
If you’ve looked at all these plants mentiond above, you will know how fortunate we are to be able to see such beauty growing around us.
Take another look at your own garden that you work at so hard but it never seems quite good enough, and pat your self on the back for creating such a lovely living thing that bring you such joy and pleasure.
Jenny Marie
Tribal Writer
Edited By
Patricia Godwin
