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Arrowleaf elephant's ear
Arrowleaf elephant's ear
Arrowleaf elephant's ear
Arrowleaf elephant's ear
Arrowleaf elephant's ear
Arrowleaf elephant's ear
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Arrowleaf elephant's ear
Xanthosoma sagittifolium
Also known as: American taro, Purplestem tannia, Blue taro, Yellow yautia, Arrowleaf elephant ear, Green Arrow Elephant Ears, New Cocoyam, Barbados Nut Eddoe
Arrowleaf elephant's ear (Xanthosoma sagittifolium) is a herbaceous perennial that can grow from 3 to 3.5 m tall. It has large, blue green, arrow-shaped leaves that resemble an elephant’s ear. The leaves can grow to 91 cm long, much larger than most elephant ear plants. It prefers partial to full shade.
Water
Every week
Water
Sunlight
Partial sun
Sunlight
care guide

Care Guide for Arrowleaf elephant's ear

Fertilization
Fertilization
Arrowleaf elephant's ear is a large plant that needs plenty of water and fertilizer to grow its absolute best. For leaves that grow up to their maximum length and width, use a mineral fertilizer once every two weeks throughout the spring.
Soil
Soil
Slightly acidic
Sunlight
Sunlight
Partial sun, Full sun, Full shade
Hardiness Zones
Hardiness Zones
9 to 11
Planting Time
Planting Time
Early spring
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Arrowleaf elephant's ear
Water
Water
Every week
Sunlight
Sunlight
Partial sun
Hardiness Zones
Hardiness Zones
9 to 11
Planting Time
Planting Time
Early spring
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Arrowleaf elephant's ear
Water
Water
Every week
Sunlight
Sunlight
Partial sun
Hardiness Zones
Hardiness Zones
9 to 11
Planting Time
Planting Time
Early spring
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Arrowleaf elephant's ear
Water
Water
Every week
Sunlight
Sunlight
Partial sun
Hardiness Zones
Hardiness Zones
9 to 11
Planting Time
Planting Time
Early spring
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Questions About Arrowleaf elephant's ear

Watering Watering Watering
Pruning Pruning Pruning
Sunlight Sunlight Sunlight
Temperature Temperature Temperature
Fertilizing Fertilizing Fertilizing
What is the best way to water my Arrowleaf elephant's ear?
There are plenty of viable ways to supply your Arrowleaf elephant's ear with water. If you grow your plant in an indoor pot, for the Arrowleaf elephant's ears in small pots, you can bring your potted plant to your kitchen sink. Then, use the faucet to add water to the container. By holding the pot in your hands, you should easily notice when the water begins to run through the pot’s drainage holes, at which point you can stop watering. The cold temperature will hurt the plants' root system, so please don't do this during winter or in cold climates. Most of the time, watering via your faucet is permissible for the Arrowleaf elephant's ear. However, if the local tap water contains a high proportion of fluorine, chlorine or salts, you should consider using rainwater or lake water.
Also, since the Arrowleaf elephant's ear can respond well to overhead watering and watering directly into the soil, you can use a watering can, hose, or just about any tool you’d like to water it.
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What should I do if I water my Arrowleaf elephant's ear too much or too little?
If you discover that you have underwatered your Arrowleaf elephant's ear, your first step towards remedying the situation is to give your plant some water. Water deeply until excess water runs from the container’s drainage hole, or if you grow outside, water until the soil has become entirely moist. If you find your Arrowleaf elephant's ear is receiving too much water, begin by reducing your watering schedule. You also want to address the soil and container your Arrowleaf elephant's ear grows in. If either the soil or the container makes it difficult for water to drain efficiently, your plant will likely become overwatered again. Resolve the issue by moving your plant to looser soils and/or a container with bigger drainage holes or a more porous material. Also check the location of the plant. If the plant is in places like a corner, then it is recommended to move it to a window or around a door to enhance ventilation. Making sure the plants are in a well-ventilated location can reduce the occurrence of overwatering to some extent.
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How often should I water my Arrowleaf elephant's ear?
The Arrowleaf elephant's ear is not a species that requires consistent soil moisture. Instead, it is better to allow this plant’s soil to become dry between waterings. If you are like the many gardeners who grow Arrowleaf elephant's ears in containers, you can judge whether or not it is time to add water by how dry the soil within the container is. For instance, if about top half of the soil in your container has become dry, it is time to add water. You can feel it by inserting your fingers or sticks into the soil or with soil moisture meter. For those who grow the Arrowleaf elephant's ear outdoors, you can plan to do your watering about once every other week, provided it has not rained recently.
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How much water does my Arrowleaf elephant's ear need?
After waiting for the first several layers of soil surrounding your Arrowleaf elephant's ear’s root to become dry(top half of the soil), it is time to add enough water to make them moist again. The amount of water it takes to achieve that goal depends on if you use a container, how large that container is, and how large your plant itself is. For a small Arrowleaf elephant's ear growing in a small to a medium-sized container, one to two cups may be enough to dampen the soil sufficiently. As you would expect, the volume of water you supply should increase for a larger plant. The best way to make sure your plant has received enough water is to stick your finger or a trowel into the soil and feel whether it is entirely moist. Alternatively, you can water until you see excess water draining from the holes at the bottom of your container.
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How can I tell if i'm watering my Arrowleaf elephant's ear enough?
Overwatering and underwatering are both bad for the health of your Arrowleaf elephant's ear. These two issues also manifest themselves in subtly different ways when they occur. Arrowleaf elephant's ear that receives too little water may begin to develop yellow leaves. Underwatering may also cause the leaf margins to become brown and brittle. By contrast, Arrowleaf elephant's ear that gets overwatered will often show yellow and brown marks on its leaves at the same time. Overwatering can also lead to diseases like root rot, some of which may also be visible on your plant. However, if you know the signs of overwatering and underwatering, you stand a good chance of correcting both issues.
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How should I water my Arrowleaf elephant's ear through the seasons?
During spring and fall, your watering schedule for the Arrowleaf elephant's ear will remain relatively the same, which will involve watering this plant about once every week. During summer, you may find that the hot weather causes your plant to need more water than usual, especially if it grows where there is a considerable amount of daily light exposure. In the winter, if it's hard to find some warm places for you plant, your Arrowleaf elephant's ear will enter a dormant growth phase, in which it will need far less water than usual. At this time, you may get by without watering your plant at all. If you do choose to water during winter, you should not do so more often than once every two to three weeks.
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How should I water my Arrowleaf elephant's ear at different growth stages?
After planting a new, young Arrowleaf elephant's ear or after transplanting an older Arrowleaf elephant's ear, you will probably need to give this plant more water than usual. Young plants often need consistent soil moisture during the early stages of their growth to help them adapt to their new growing locations. Transplants also need more water for a brief time to overcome transplant shock. In either case, you may need to water multiple times per week until your plant has exhibited continuous healthy growth. In most situations, your water should be moderate and should never be significant enough to cause overwatering.
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What's the difference between watering Arrowleaf elephant's ear indoors and outdoors?
There are a few reasons why you may need to water an indoor Arrowleaf elephant's ear more often than one that grows in the ground outdoors. First, indoor growing settings tend to be drier than outdoor ones, often due to the effect of air conditioning units. While thw size of the pot and the soil determines the warer accumulating ability. Additionally, when your plant grows indoors, it will rely on you entirely for its water By contrast, Arrowleaf elephant's ear that grows outside can receive water from rain. If you are in an area with high rainfall, you may not have to give it extra watering. When there is not enough rain, you should water additionally to ensure that the soil does not dry out completely.
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Habitat

Tropical rainforest
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Native
Cultivated
Invasive
Potentially invasive
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Name story

Arrowleaf elephant's ear
The arrowleaf elephant's ear comes by its common name quite honestly: the large, attractive green leaves look like particularly pointed elephant’s ears. The plant’s specific epithet “sagittifolium” also means “arrow-shaped.”

Symbolism

Tropical, stiff, internal.
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Arrowleaf elephant's ear
Arrowleaf elephant's ear
Arrowleaf elephant's ear
Arrowleaf elephant's ear
Arrowleaf elephant's ear
Arrowleaf elephant's ear
Add to My Garden
Arrowleaf elephant's ear
Xanthosoma sagittifolium
Also known as: American taro, Purplestem tannia, Blue taro, Yellow yautia, Arrowleaf elephant ear, Green Arrow Elephant Ears, New Cocoyam, Barbados Nut Eddoe
Water
Every week
Water
Sunlight
Partial sun
Sunlight
care guide

Care Guide for Arrowleaf elephant's ear

Fertilization
Fertilization
Arrowleaf elephant's ear is a large plant that needs plenty of water and fertilizer to grow its absolute best. For leaves that grow up to their maximum length and width, use a mineral fertilizer once every two weeks throughout the spring.
Soil
Soil
Slightly acidic
Sunlight
Sunlight
Partial sun, Full sun, Full shade
Hardiness Zones
Hardiness Zones
9 to 11
Planting Time
Planting Time
Early spring
buy vip bg
Tips, advice, and instructions for over 13,000 species that you will find nowhere else
cover
Arrowleaf elephant's ear
Xanthosoma sagittifolium
Water
Water
Every week
Sunlight
Sunlight
Partial sun
Hardiness Zones
Hardiness Zones
9 to 11
Planting Time
Planting Time
Early spring
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question

Questions About Arrowleaf elephant's ear

Watering Watering Watering
Pruning Pruning Pruning
Sunlight Sunlight Sunlight
Temperature Temperature Temperature
Fertilizing Fertilizing Fertilizing
What is the best way to water my Arrowleaf elephant's ear?
more
Free
What should I do if I water my Arrowleaf elephant's ear too much or too little?
more
Free
How often should I water my Arrowleaf elephant's ear?
more
Free
How much water does my Arrowleaf elephant's ear need?
more
lock
How can I tell if i'm watering my Arrowleaf elephant's ear enough?
more
lock
Show More more
buy vip bg
You’ve got questions. We’ve got answers.
Let us help take all the guesswork out of your gardening.
distribution

Distribution Map

Habitat

Tropical rainforest

Map

distribution map
Native
Cultivated
Invasive
Potentially invasive
Exotic
No species reported
plant_info

More Info

Plant Type
Plant Type
Herb
Flower Color
Flower Color
Green
White
Yellow
Bloom Time
Bloom Time
Spring, Summer
Leaf Color
Leaf Color
Green
Blue

Name story

Arrowleaf elephant's ear
The arrowleaf elephant's ear comes by its common name quite honestly: the large, attractive green leaves look like particularly pointed elephant’s ears. The plant’s specific epithet “sagittifolium” also means “arrow-shaped.”

Symbolism

Tropical, stiff, internal.
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Your Ultimate Guide to Plants
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17,000 local species +400,000 global species studied
product icon
Nearly 5 years of research
product icon
80+ scholars in botany and gardening
ad
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