Plants that look similar to elephant ears are unforgettable. Their huge leaves that stand out from the rest of the plants are something we all remember from the first time we went to the greenhouse.
However, did you know that there are over 1,800 species that have this resemblance? Here, we will be discussing some of the plants that are similar to and resemble Elephant ears, as this is one of the interestingly asked questions for many gardeners.
List of Plants That Are Similar to Elephant Ears
1. Alocasia
Alocasia is a perennial plant that is evergreen. It is widely cultivated for its enormous, heart- or arrow-shaped leaves with streaks of various hues, including black, copper, and deep purple. On six-foot-tall plants, it produces flowers that resemble calla lilies. However, this specific kind of elephant ear plant seldom blossoms.
Alocasia plants have an equal spread and a growing range of two to six feet. Depending on the species, the leaves of these plants, which are their most remarkable feature, range from 8 to 36 inches. They thrive in wet soil and direct, bright sunshine. Bright, streaky light and damp surroundings are ideal for aloe vera plants.
People seek far and wide for these for their houses because of their attractive creamy-white veins and glossy black leaves.
They are lovely as border edging and accents. They may be grown inside pots and placed in partial shade or filtered sun. Alocasia should be planted 30 to 60 inches apart in acidic, clayey, sandy, or loamy soil if you’re growing them inside. Winds and draughts will harm your plant, so find a secure location to protect it from strong winds.
If they are placed outside, remember that you will need to move the plant inside as soon as winter arrives. Because they need less water in the winter, you should use less water and keep the temperature between 60 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Colocasia
Colocasia is the same, yet a different kind of elephant ear plant. They have large leaves with a shield-like shape. They have peltate leaves, unlike any other species. The leaves may become two to three feet long and one to two feet broad. The plants may grow between six to eight feet tall in the ideal environment.
Colocasia plants are unique; they often show their leaves with the heart’s tip facing downward. Colocasia plants have gorgeous crimson, rich green, or purplish-black leaves that are strong and meaty.
Colocasia plants do best in direct sunshine, but they also do well in oblique light if you give them enough hydration. For them to thrive, regular moisture is also necessary; However, it would help if you didn’t put them outside containers close to water sources since they might spread and develop too quickly. You could find it challenging to stop their relentless spread.
Taro plants are another name for colocasia. They are excellent landscaping plants and are certain to give any yard a tropical atmosphere. Once cooked, the taro tubes can be eaten. In Asia and the South Pacific, they are indeed a popular meal.
3. Alocasia Amazonica
This plant, also known as an Alocasia Polly plant, is the perfect example of a similar plant to elephant ears. The stunning tropical leaves of this plant are its most eye-catching aesthetic quality. If you wish to grow one, it will live for many years and only keep adding beauty to your interior space.
Alocasia elephant plants are truly wonderful plants to grow. It has dark green leaves with distinct silver-white veins and a distinctive scallop on the leaf edges, nonetheless, the leaves’ undersides have a crimson tint to them.
The ideal environment for outdoor growing of this plant ranges from partial shade to full sun. It could survive in rooms with medium to low light levels in your house and yet look attractive as a houseplant.
4. Caladiums
Caladiums are perennial plants that you can typically find in nurseries. They are an elephant ear plant variant that grows to a maximum height and spread of only two feet.
Caladiums are among the spectacular plants with large leaves because their foliage may expand to a maximum length of this plant would reach somewhere from eight and go up to 12 feet.
The Caladium’s vibrant leaves may be found in various hues, including red, pink, green, silvery-green, white, and cream. The leaves have distinct, vividly colored veins and are fashioned like a heart. Keep an eye out for the summertime blooming white blooms.
Although caladium plants prefer some shade, they may tolerate full sun if cared for in moist circumstances. They grow well as container plants too.
5. Caladium Bicolor
Caladium bicolor thrives in environments with high humidity, medium light, and protection from direct sunshine; it should be kept moist but not soggy.
Over a thousand distinct variants of the Caladium bicolor plant have been created, most of which feature arrow-shaped leaves with stunning coloring. This plant thrives when grown in the shade given by the forest canopy in warm climates. It enters a dormant state during the dry season and may also be spotted growing near riverbanks.
One of the reasons the plant is so frequently grown as an indoor houseplant is its magnificent arrowhead-shaped leaves. It is the shape of its leaves that resembles the elephant ears.
6. Colocasia Gigantic
The five to ten feet tall plant Colocasia gigantea, often known as Indian taro, has massive, fibrous corn that produces a whorl of big leaves at the top. It is even known as the colocasia elephant ear plant. In certain parts of South East Asia and Japan, the leaf stalk is consumed as a vegetable.
The best soil conditions for growing are fertile, organically rich, consistently damp to swampy, and full sun to part shade. Drying out of soil cannot be tolerated. High summer temperatures and high humidity are ideal for plant growth. During the growing season, plants develop prodigiously and benefit from routine fertilizer.
This plant resembles wild taro in appearance. Yellowish-green foliage is a distinguishing feature, as are its stalks. People occasionally plant them because the leaf stalks are delectable.
7. Alocasia Zebrina
The zebra plant called Alocasia zebrina or zebrina alocasia is a member of the Araceae plant family. In the Philippines, it is indigenous to the islands of Luzon, Mindanao, Leyte, Samar, Biliran, and Alabat. All across the world, it is frequently planted as a decorative plant. Locally, it is also referred to as gaping Tigre in Tagalog.
Zebrinas appreciate regular misting and weekly watering to keep their soil moist but not soggy. To avoid overwatering and root rot in winter, we advise letting the top two inches of soil dry out between waterings. The margins of the leaf will brown in prolonged dryness since this plant cannot tolerate it.
It gets a little confusing, and a hybrid of two animals forms. The stems have stripes that resemble the zebra, but the leaves have that distinct elephant ear shape.
8. Xanthosoma Lindenii
The exotic tropical plant Xanthosoma, known as Caladium lindenii, is native to Colombia. It is regarded as one of the most striking indoor plants you can grow.
It features large, arrow-shaped green leaves with cream-colored veins that catch the eye and stand out from the background. This indoor plant will be able to attract more attention than even the more diverse varieties of your other indoor plants.
Xanthosoma is a great floor plant that thrives in bright, warm conditions and may grow up to three feet tall in its mature state. The mature leaves can grow to be almost 15 inches long!
9. Caladium Red Flash
Caladium ‘Red Flash’ is a fancy-leaf variety, which means that before producing its large, heart-shaped leaf, the stem will grow between 12 and 30 inches long. This is a result of the stem’s fan-like growth pattern. The Red Flash plant’s leaves have a dark green tint with red centers and veins. They also feature pink “drops” of color on their surfaces.
The leaves resemble elephant ears just fine, but they would even look more like elephant ears were it not for the striking red centers of the leaves. However, that shows how complex and intriguing nature and its evolution is.
10. Colocasia Black Magic
The Colocasia ‘Black Magic’ plant has two-foot-long, dusty, solid purple-black leaves strikingly shaped like a four-pointed star. It is quite helpful for designers who enjoy the colors purple and black. Colocasia ‘Black Magic’ develops into a huge cluster around five to six feet tall and spreads similarly.
If Colocasia “Black Magic” is grown in regions with plenty of sunshine and warm summers, it should be able to tolerate temperatures as low as zero degrees Fahrenheit. To make sure their survival throughout the winter, tubers must be planted deeper every few years after progressively forcing their way to the earth’s top.
11. Colocasia Lime Zinger
A variety known as “Lime Zinger” is renowned for producing enormous, arrow-shaped leaves that measure up to 18 inches long and range in color from chartreuse to lime green. Sited in the early light and afternoon shade produces the best color. Plants are kept for their leaves rather than their occasionally produced blooms.
This ear plant features two-foot-long chartreuse leaves that are shaped like hearts; however, remember that these leaves glow even on overcast days and flutter in the slightest breeze. It can handle rich, somewhat acidic, damp soil and thrives in full sun and mild shade.
12. Diamond Head
This Colocasia species is known for its resemblance to elephant ears. Because of its glossy qualities, this species is particularly popular with humans. When fully grown, this plant’s leaves may reach heights of three to four feet and a breadth of two feet. Although their large leaf structure gives them the appearance of elephant ears, the glossiness of the leaves is what draws people in.
To further explain, the surface of this species with enormous leaves has a distinctive blue-black hue with a hint of glossiness. As a result, when this species’ leaves are exposed to sunshine, they reflect the light and provide a magnificent perspective of your landscape.
If you’re planning on growing this plant in your garden, you must know that it needs enough sunshine to grow well. Plus, this plant needs just the right amount of water because it can be very demanding about its soil getting wet.
13. Pink Symphony
Another elephant ear-shaped plant with a distinctive appearance because of its creamy pink hue is the ink symphony. The tropical aroid Caladium “Pink Symphony” is native to South America and grows quickly. It has gorgeous, brilliantly colored leaves in the form of hearts.
This cultivar’s pink and white leaves are arranged in a striking design that resembles a web of dark green veins. Every leaf is a work of art in and of itself; each has a distinct look that differs somewhat from the others. Although they are smaller than other species with structures resembling elephant ears, these plants have an elephant-ear appearance.
This pink symphony is the greatest option if you have a tiny garden but wish to grow plants with an elephant ear-like shape. Because this particular indoor elephant ear plant’s leaves and stems are relatively smaller in size, they don’t require much room. As a result, you can simply grow them in pots, as they are only 14 inches long.
Furthermore, these plants prefer a shaded environment as they do not require direct sunshine to develop. They prefer dry soil despite spending a lot of time in wet soil. Thus they only require soil that absorbs water fast.
14. Caladium Carolyn Whorton
The Carolyn Whorton Caladium is a vibrant plant with extraordinary leaves that contrast with dark green at the borders and are embellished with pink specks and splashes. This plant is quite desirable all year long, especially in the summer. For many individuals who grow inside, this plant is their favorite pick.
One of the most well-known plant families, the Araceae, contains roughly more than 3000 distinct species, and of this family is the Carolyn Whorton Caladium Plant.
Conclusion
There you have it! We hope you found the list of plants similar to elephant ears intriguing. Of course, we couldn’t write about the whole 1800 species that resembled elephant ears, but we did include all main species and their variants.
Not all of them have the same property, but all of them do, in fact, look like the elephant ear plant. Now that you know all about these resembling plants, choose wisely which one you would like to keep. Happy gardening!
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