Elephant Ear - Thailand Giant

Other plants we have or landscape elements like ponds.

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Alan_L
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Re: Elephant Ear - Thailand Giant

Post by Alan_L »

I don't think you're supposed to eat Colocasia raw -- must be boiled or steamed. Alkali burn?
stevelau1911
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Location: upstate NY zone 6B
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Re: Elephant Ear - Thailand Giant

Post by stevelau1911 »

Mine maxed out with leaves between 3-4ft, and got close to flowering before it was cut down. I pretty much cut all my plant materials to be used as nitrogen for the compost pile inside my greenhouse which happens to be mostly composted and losing its effectiveness by now.

Anyways I ended up using leaf filled bags to cover up my Thai giant as well as all my other colocosias, alocosias, gunnera, papyrus plants, cannas, bananas, etc in hope that some of them are hardy enough to come back. Most of these plants are rated for zone 7 or zone 8 so there is a chance. I know the gunnera is hardy enough, but I'm trying to see what else will thrive in my climate without having to bring them inside every winter.
pokenei
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Re: Elephant Ear - Thailand Giant

Post by pokenei »

I can pretty much guarantee the Thai Giant will not survive the winter for two reasons:

1) It has zero defense for frost
2) It has no tubers to act as food reserve in case of lean time (i.e. for Winter and to bounce back in the Spring).

The only possible way it can survive is if the ground never freezes.

I only have one plant, so the risk is too high to leave it outside.

Now as I mentioned before. A related species (Bac Ha) hat I have and that are sold in supermarkets are not poisonous. I have tried those raw and nothing happened. But for some reason, my Bac Ha plant never gets as big as the ones sold in supermarkets which approaches the size of my Thai Giant.
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