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Xanthosoma    MALANGA, YAUTIA, DASHEEN    giant foliage plants related to Taro (Colocasia), some of which are hardy enough for outdoor use in cooler climates. American in origin as opposed to the Asian Colocasias and Alocasias. Similarly cultivated for their edible roots and leaves (with treatment!). See experimental container notes. Araceae. rev 5/2004

robustum    young plant at my house, winter    leaf    in this variety the leaves, to just 18" long, are a wonderful dark blue green, somewhat lighter beneath, and with a blue green petiole tinted with violet. This very ornamental dwarf species to just 2'-3 tall can grow in drier habitats, which makes it very useful in tropical-schemed landscaping. Due to its naturally restrained size it should be one of the best for containers. It has been an easy grower for us, overwintered well in cold, dark, wet shade even when planted out young, and should do well outside in the warmer regions of California including the San Francisco Bay Area. USDA zone 8, Sunset zone 8-9, 14-24. Tropical America. rev 10/2005

sagittifolium    GIANT ELEPHANT EAR, YAUTIA, MALANGA    at the Huntington    again at the Huntington    flower    a giant foliage plant related to Taro (Colocasia) with 3' long elephant ear leaves on 3' petioles for a total plant height of 8-10', where happy. It has striking veins that stick out underneath the lower leaf surface, which is nice because that is mostly what you are going to be looking up at given the size of this thing. Happiness means plenty of water, rich soil, fertilizer, and partly shaded conditions. In California look for more like 6-8'. Another tropical jungle plant for frosty climates! Goes dormant below 45°F and resprouts following warm spring weather. Under cool summer conditions the leaves can tend to be yellow-tinged in full sun unless treated to fertilizer and iron supplements. Great in containers or as a large indoor specimen and can even be grown in standing water. Produces edible roots and leaf blades (after treatment!) is and widely grown throughout the tropical and warm temperate climates as a food plant and ornamental. Flowers are typical small, hooded, off-white aroid units. This is another variety that can get quite large in just a medium size container (such as a 5g can) as long as you use a good peat-based, water retaining mix. It is actually very hardy in the ground, tolerating USDA zone 7b or Sunset zones 5-9, 12-13, 14-17, 21-24. West Indies, South America. Araceae. rev 4/2004

violaceum    petiole and leaf color    young plant    AMETHYST ELEPHANT EAR, BLUE TARO, BLACK MALANGA, MALANGA LILA    slightly rolled leaves emerge tinged faint lavender purple then age to a flat blue green to olive green with a wonderful lavender purple glaucous bloom on the petioles as well as the undersides of the leaves. Eventually this rubs off and leaves the stems a shiny purple black. The flower spathe is white and appears in summer on mature plants. To 5-8' tall in the tropics, expect about 3' in cooler climates. I have been looking for this plant to grow for about 20 years, now I can see how well it does in Northern California. It is rated for from USDA zone 7b to 10. I suspect it will be fine if kept wet and warm in summer and not too cold and wet in winter. I fully intend to give it my experimental container treatment. It should make a fine container plant and maybe easier to grow as such, I just don't know yet. Caribbean. rev 5/2004