Taro (Colocasia esculenta 'Tropical Storm')
Colocasia esculenta 'Tropical Storm' is a compact Taro variety, featuring striking dark purple-black leaves with creamy centers, perfect for tropical impact.
Scroll down to discover growing tips, care requirements, companion plants, and more
Complete Plant Information
Overview
Colocasia esculenta ‘Tropical Storm’ is a stunning, compact selection of Taro prized for its dramatic foliage, offering intense tropical texture to the landscape. This cultivar is valued for its dark purple-black leaves accented by contrasting creamy white centers, providing excellent year-round visual interest, especially when massed or used as a specimen. Like other elephant ears, this tender perennial thrives in consistently moist conditions, making it an excellent choice for water features or rain gardens. Gardeners appreciate the vigorous growth of Colocasia esculenta ‘Tropical Storm’ when properly situated in areas protected from harsh winds.
Fast Facts
- Plant Family: Araceae
- Plant Type: Bulb
- Hardiness Zones: USDA Zones 8-10
- Size at Maturity:
- Height: 1.5-2 ft
- Spread: 1.5-2 ft
- Bloom Time: Flowers not showy
- Bloom Description: White spadix with creamy white spathe
- Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade
- Water Needs: Medium to wet
- Maintenance Level: Medium
How to Grow
Colocasia esculenta ‘Tropical Storm’ performs best when planted in fertile, humusy, organically rich soils that maintain a medium to wet moisture level. Plant tubers in mid-spring once all danger of frost has passed, opting for a location receiving full sun or light afternoon shade, especially where summer heat is intense. Due to its high water demands, this Taro requires consistent moisture; do not allow garden soils to dry out completely between waterings.
This plant exhibits prodigious growth and benefits greatly from regular fertilization throughout the active growing season to fuel that large foliage display. If you are incorporating Colocasia esculenta ‘Tropical Storm’ as a marginal aquatic plant, it tolerates standing water up to six inches deep. In USDA Zones 8 through 10, tubers can often remain in the ground year-round.
For cooler zones, tubers must be lifted in the fall immediately after the first frost damages the foliage. Overwinter the dug tubers by storing them in a cool, dry location—ideally above 45°F—bedded in peat moss or wood shavings, caring for them similarly to cannas. Always site your plants where they are shielded from strong winds that can tear the large, expressive leaves.
Landscape Uses
The bold architecture and unique coloration of Colocasia esculenta ‘Tropical Storm’ make it an excellent focal point plant, lending an instant, lush tropical atmosphere to any garden design. It shines when used as a specimen plant in large containers placed on patios or decks, where its size is contained and its beauty is highlighted.
This particular variety integrates beautifully into mixed borders, providing essential deep color contrast against lighter greens and yellows. Its tolerance for wet conditions means it is perfectly suited for rain gardens or along the margins of ponds, where it functions wonderfully as a water plant. Consider pairing Taro with finer-textured evergreens or grasses to enhance the visual impact of its large heart-shaped leaves.
Standout Features
Flower Qualities
- Insignificant
Noteworthy Characteristics
Colocasia esculenta, commonly called taro or elephant ear, is a tuberous, stemless, frost-tender perennial of the arum family which typically grows 3-6’ tall and as wide in its wild form. For gardeners, it is primarily grown as a foliage plant with huge, heart-shaped to arrowhead-shaped, conspicuously-veined, downward-pointing, peltate leaves (to 2’ long) on long, stout, succulent stems. ‘Tropical Storm’ is a compact, vigorous elephant ear selection resulting from a controlled cross between the C. Esculenta cultivars ‘Black Magic’ and ‘Nancy’s Revenge’, featuring 8” long, dark purple-black leaves with contrasting creamy white centers.
Tolerances
- Wet Soil
Potential Problems
This plant generally does not suffer from serious insect or disease problems under ideal growing conditions. Maintaining the correct moisture level is the primary defensive strategy against common stress issues. Ensure proper soil aeration if planting in garden soil to prevent potential root rot, though its love for wet soil helps mitigate this risk if drainage is adequate for an Aroid.
Frequently Asked Questions
What hardiness zones is Taro suitable for?
Colocasia esculenta ‘Tropical Storm’ is hardy in USDA Zones 8 through 10, meaning tubers may survive winter outdoors in these regions without special protection.
How large does Colocasia esculenta ‘Tropical Storm’ grow?
This compact selection typically reaches a manageable height between 1.5 to 2 feet tall, with an equal spread of 1.5 to 2 feet at maturity.
What sun exposure does Colocasia esculenta ‘Tropical Storm’ need?
The ideal placement for this Taro is in full sun to allow for the best color development, although it appreciates some afternoon shade during excessively hot summer periods.
When does Colocasia esculenta ‘Tropical Storm’ bloom?
The flowers are not showy; when they do appear, they consist of an infrequent white spadix with a creamy white spathe, usually hidden by the dense foliage.
Conclusion
The dramatic, deep-toned foliage makes Colocasia esculenta ‘Tropical Storm’ an essential element for creating high-contrast tropical effects in borders or containers. This specific Taro variety offers robust color and manageable size, perfect for brightening damp spots in the garden. Always check your local hardiness zone compatibility for overwintering or plan to treat this beautiful foliage plant as a seasonal annual.
Companion Planting
Selecting companions for Colocasia esculenta ‘Tropical Storm’ should focus on plants that share a similar need for consistent moisture and provide textural variety. Consider pairing the large, dark leaves of this Taro with moisture-loving perennials like Canna Lilies (if they require heat) or robust ferns that thrive in partial shade. For areas receiving full sun, use moisture-retentive fillers such as bright green Sedges (Carex) or other water-loving bog plants to maintain the lush, water garden aesthetic.
Seasonal Care Calendar
Spring marks the time to plant new tubers after the threat of frost has completely passed, ensuring the soil is warm enough for active growth to begin. During the summer growing season, focus intensely on water management, applying regular fertilizer to support the enormous leaf production throughout the heat. As fall approaches, monitor for the first frost; in Zone 7 and colder, this signals the time to cut back the dead foliage and dig the tubers for proper cool storage before winter sets in.
