Thanks Elaine. That's a darker form of Imperial Taro (Colocasia esculenta 'Illustris'). Looks the same as the Imperial Taro (Colocasia esculenta 'Black Beauty') I bought this spring. It's one of those I'm keeping in ground and mulching this winter. Saved a few pups just in case.

eclayne said:Just an FYI. Black Stem Elephant Ear (Colocasia fontanesii) is back to species status. If anyone wants to read the publication, tree-mail me and I'll email it to you.

Gardens’ Bulletin Singapore 65(1): 27–37. 2013; Two new species and a new record for Colocasia (Araceae: Colocasieae) from Arunachal Pradesh, Northeast India; R. Gogoi1 and S. Borah2

You shoulda known to send it to me!👅

Your portora looks great, how bigs the bulb?

I'd say that colocasia pictured is black beauty, not the blackest one Ive seen but too much to just be illistris.

Swayback said:You shoulda known to send it to me!👅
I have a pdf Sway but not a website link so tree-mail me a way to get it to you. Evan
Your portora looks great, how bigs the bulb?
Still a lot of green petioles left on it so not sure. Very painful to dig and chop, too dang nice. Evan
I'd say that colocasia pictured is black beauty, not the blackest one Ive seen but too much to just be illistris.
Thanks for the info. It was tucked in with a bunch of more typical ones. Evan

Evan, those plants are grandiose for sure. Be sure to take pictures at the end of summer to show us how much more they have grown. So beautiful.

Happy_1 said:Evan, those plants are grandiose for sure. Be sure to take pictures at the end of summer to show us how much more they have grown. So beautiful.

Haha!

How I long to be in Florida!

It's been well below freezing several times here!

Summers long gone for most of the nation, floridians live in such paradise they forget October and November are practically winter months up here...

Don't despair Sway, Floridians can't grow these.

You must be envious for it's now 85F and sunny skies with a cool breeze. I must admit for the 30 years that I've lived here I still consider myself in paradise.

(Stop drooling!)

Nancy

Maybe we can't grow those lovely Japanese ? iris here, but there are still lots of iris we can grow. Just came home with plants of the native Blue Flag iris for my pond.

I have Louisiana iris 'Black Gamecock' that is simply gorgeous. Btw, I also have gourmet tomatoes, broccoli, peppers and eggplant (a wacky one called 'Purple Rain') ready to start bearing. Eat yer hearts out.

You pegged me Nancy, part of autumn gardener syndrome up here. My chin usually dries up by early spring when the leaves a flushing and the spring parade of blooms starts.

Love Louisiana Iris Elaine. I have a few and Sinfonietta is in my book.

I have Dutch Iris (Iris 'Miss Saigon') return each spring; they came from bulbs I purchased at Wal-Mart.

Species Iris (Iris hexagona) grows at Merritt Island Nat'l Wildlife Refuge.

(Not true Iris) but these grow here in Fla:
Walking Iris (Trimezia gracilis)
Yellow Walking Iris (Trimezia longifolia)
Yellow Walking Iris (Trimezia longifolia)

I've been digging and pulling up a few Xanthosoma sagittifolium that are overtaking a flower bed; thought I got them all out a week or so ago but I found two more pups sprouting today. They have long runners that break off when I yank them out ... guess one of these days soon I need to get the shovel out again:

plantladylin said:

• Arrow Leaf Elephant's Ear (Xanthosoma sagittifolium)
• Uploaded by plantladylin

I really enjoy seeing how these things grow and throw pups. Thanks. Those walking Iris are gorgeous.

Evan, you are very welcome! I love the Walking Irises and I do think they are pretty but not as fabulous looking as the real Irises.

Re: the X. sagittifolium; they are great looking ears but seem to take over down here in Fla. I volunteer at our little botanical gardens here in town and we have to thin them out at times or we'd be growing nothing but the elephant ears. I dug a few big ones from my yard a week or so ago (they are still laying out on the sidewalk because hubby forgot to put them out for yard trash pickup) and the pups in that photo popped up in one bed where I thought I'd dug them all out. I think I should have kept the original one in a container instead of planting it in the ground to spread.

Swayback said:

Haha!

How I long to be in Florida!

It's been well below freezing several times here!

Summers long gone for most of the nation, floridians live in such paradise they forget October and November are practically winter months up here...

Cross of A. Borneo Giant x A.odora. My first Alocasia cross to seedling stage.

In this part of Florida we've still been having low 80's but a cold front is supposed to be coming through. It was cloudy, windy and dreary all day today but it was so nice I could turn off the air conditioning and open all the windows! The next few days are gonna be nice: http://www.accuweather.com/en/...
and next week we're supposed to have two days in the upper 60's!!

homer1958 said:Cross of A. Borneo Giant x A.odora. My first Alocasia cross to seedling stage.

So the odora genes will make for an easier to cultivate giant?

Woohoo! Go Drew. Hard to believe those tiny things will grow up to be so huge.

That's what I'm hoping will happen Evan!

homer1958 said:That's what I'm hoping will happen Evan!

We're hoping with ya!