10 Plants That Look Like Elephant Ears That You Can Plant

Plants that look like elephant ears look magnificent perched on the doorsteps or along the fence. If you are thinking of finding some to plant indoors or outdoors in your home, you have come to a suitable space.

First, give the tropical plants‘ vast, elephant-ear-like leaves a fertile, wet soil and a frost-free habitat.

Then, for an animated show, place their sturdy underground tubers beside flowering and delicately textured plants in the yard or pots, read this article, as we have complied more about it than you think!

List of Plants That Look Like Elephant Ears

1. Colocasia Esculenta

The Colocasia Esculenta is also known as Taro, and the best soil conditions are fertile, humus-rich in organic matter, medium to wet, and full sun to part shade. In regions with scorching summers, afternoon shade is welcome.

Provide consistent moisture for growing plants in garden soil, especially during the dry summer, and prevent dirt from drying out. In water that is up to six inches deep, plants can also be grown as pond marginals. 

During the growing season, plants grow prodigiously and benefit from routine fertilizer. Plants should be placed in areas shielded from severe winds.

In USDA zones eight through 10, tubers may be left in the ground all through the year round. However, in St. Louis, tubers should be buried after late April and in the middle of the spring, pulled up after the first frost, and then overwintered in an excellent, dry location.

Colocasia esculenta, is a perennial in the arum family that is tuberous, stemless, frost-tender, and typically reaches three to six inches tall and as wide.

With enormous, heart that is almost close to an arrowhead-shaped, prominently veined, downward-pointing, peltate leaves up to two feet long, robust, succulent stems, it is primarily used as a foliage plant for gardeners. 

According to the common name, each leaf resembles an elephant’s ear. When the classic aroid-type with yellowish-white spathes and spadixes does appear, it does so infrequently and is typically masked by the foliage. This species is also farmed economically as a food crop in Hawaii, where it is popularly known as taro or the tubers are used to make poi.

2. Diamond Head

It seems logical that it was called after the Oahu volcanic cone since both the plant and the cone are dark and glossy. At least 16 inches long and one foot wide, the plant’s leaves are the maximum size. 

“Diamond Head” are plants that would best functions when positioned in or submerged in a body of water and answers one of the most frequently asked questions by novice gardeners. Moreover, its leaf edges burn if left in a dry environment.

As a result, it loses its shine in the shadow and resembles dark green rather than purple or black. The unique purple-black hue of “Diamond Head” depends on the lighting in your garden, so if it doesn’t work, you might want to consider another plant.

After the leaves have been dried up by frost, gardeners in cool hardiness zones can overwinter the tubers of this plant indoors by wrapping them in peat moss when the soil is constantly about 70 degrees, plant tubers. Then, shoots from the offspring can be transplanted.

3. Black Magic

A famous species of the Araceae family known as Colocasia Black Magic Esculenta or Black elephant ear plant is an excellent ornamental plant to maintain the beauty of your living areas.

Despite having the term “black” in its name, the black elephant ear has dark purple leaves that, in the wrong lighting, can be mistaken for black. The word for these leaves comes from their size and shape, which resembles elephant ears.

As a novel variant of the well-known Colocasia Esculenta or Asian taro, the dark purple elephant ear, also known as black magic colocasia, finds its roots in the tropical jungles of far eastern Asia. 

The purple elephant ears plants should be a perfect choice if you’re looking for a plant that lends your living area a subtly dramatic yet tropical vibe.

Although Black Magic plants are moderately simple to care for, it involves having a solid awareness of their different needs and adhering to them. For example, this long-leaved plant needs access to bright, indirect, or shaded light, just like other Asian Taro cultivars do. 

4. Pink Symphony

The leaf of Pink Symphony is predominantly pink with a few light green veins. Each leaf has a slightly distinct appearance from the previous one, with varying amounts of green. When placed in front of taller caladiums or foliage, the Strap and Lanced leaf variants look stunning. Excellent for garden accents, hanging baskets, and containers.

“Pink Symphony” produces foliage with a spring-green vein pattern and a light pink background. A favorite prized for its broad, arrow-shaped leaves in various colors. Streaks and blotches of red, rose, pink, white, bronze, and green on the foliage.

It is an exquisite border plant for the shade that grows well indoors and outdoors in containers. However, handling this plant might irritate your skin, and eating it might make you sick, which is a key factor that you should be cautious about. 

A fast-growing tropical aroid from South America called Caladium “Pink Symphony” features lovely heart-shaped leaves with vivid hues.

This cultivar’s pink and white leaves contrast with the dark green veins forming a spiderweb pattern. Each leaf is a work of art, each appearing somewhat different from the previous one, so you will have to work to make the plant grow.

We advise letting the beautiful long leaves to grow in a bright area out of direct sunlight with other tropical plants to improve the ambient humidity because the paper-thin leaves thrive in high humidity and heat. 

On another note, a more excellent approach to raising the humidity surrounding the plant is pebble trays, or even through misting once a while, so that the leaves don’t lose their glossy texture.

This plant encounters seasonal drought in the wild. Caladiums are pleased when their environment is mimicked indoors. Therefore, you must allow the foliage to fall off each fall. 

5. Red Flash

Caladium bicolor of the Red Flash plant is commonly indigenous to Brazil’s tropical regions of South America, is prized for its beauty. The magnificent red and green leaves of the Caladium bicolor variation this long leaved-vegetation that can be seen. 

Only in the center of the plant does the red develop, resembling blood-pumping veins. Dark green lines the plant’s leaf’s distinctive color. It frequently exhibits white or pink dots. You can save the elephant ear bulbs to plant again.

There are numerous common names for the Caladium bicolor that are based on the design of its leaves. The Heart of Jesus, and the Angel Wings plant are just a few names for this plant.

6. Alocasia Amazonica

The complex tropical foliage is the critical component of Alocasia Amazonica, also known as Alocasia Polly, regarding its natural beauty.

This hybrid Alocasia will adorn your indoor space with its lush growth and vividly colored foliage for years to come if cultivated in the ideal conditions and given the necessary care.

For the finest performance and healthiest growth, make sure you follow their care routines well.

Growing this variety of an Alocasia, you must remember to include it in light soil that drains well and water when the soil surface starts to look dry. During the growing season, maintain a reasonable humidity level, place in a light area with indoor temperatures between 65 to almost 80 degrees Fahrenheit, and fertilize every two to four weeks. 

Over the years, this plant has caused considerable misunderstanding regarding the origin and terminology of the plant, particularly among horticultural scientists. The huge Aroid family, of which Alocasia Amazonica is a member, has been highlighted as the possessor of some of the most significant horticultural myths.

7. Lime Zinger

Flowers in hot pink clusters remain for several weeks. Valid for green roof systems and beautiful when cascading down a slope. These alluring beauties were chosen for their vibrant flower and foliage colors.

From spring until the beginning of autumn, which is in October, the colors of the foliage remain, moreover the compact habit creates solid leaf mats, which are suitable for under planting at the foot of something taller.

Sedum is cultivated for its unique fleshy foliage so keep this in mind when you grow an elephant ear. They come in various sizes and shapes, including erect and groundcover varieties.

Perennial that is dependable, resilient, and simple to grow. Star-shaped flowers grow in clusters or sprays and frequently change color as they mature. Unfortunately, according to Idaho, all potted plant material cannot now be delivered to Idaho.

Sedum favors full sunlight and moderately poorly drained soil much like alocasia elephant ear. Every two to four years, in the spring. Stems are easy to remove and readily root when being transplanted. Early spring is an excellent time to prune winter-damaged leaves to encourage new growth.

8. Black Stem

This exceptional kind of Alocasia Macrorrhiza is decorated with black stems and veins. It is actually massive, thick, sculpted forest green leaves are supported upright by stiff black stems. Macrorrhiza grows to a mature height of four to five feet and prefers bright sun with little shade.

This exceptional variety of Alocasia Macrorrhiza features black stems and veins. The elephant ear in question is a scarce and unusual variety.

Massive, thick, sculpted forest green leaves are supported upright by stiff black stems. This plant would be best when it is placed under bright light with little to no shadow, and together with this light, it would also grow nicely in containers.

The size, form, and color of the plants shipped at this time may differ from the examples above. Please keep in mind that each plant is unique.

Depending on the soil type, sunlight, temperature, and other variables, Macrorrhiza Black Stem will grow at a different rate and have different colored leaves. Before delivery, a few leaves are frequently clipped to lessen transpiration and travel stress.

9. Angel Wings

A border or container will shine with the silvery-white, spectacular foliage of the succulent Angel Wings. Once established, it can thrive outside or indoors as a house plant and is resistant to drought. 

It is a perennial in zones eight and higher, but it must be overwintered inside in colder locations for the ears to grow like colocasia gigantean. The blossoms can be cut back to encourage more basal leaf growth because the common types are not particularly ornamentally noteworthy.

Angel Wings require soil that drains well, has low to moderate moisture levels, and receives full sun to part shade. Allow the soil to dry out in between waterings indoors during the winter.

Every year, fertilize in the spring. Use this plant as a house plant, in containers, borders, or mass plantings, because they wouldn’t be prone to stress and fluctuation of growth, and remember that it prefers highly well-draining soil. If you repot your plant every time it doubles in size, your plant shouldn’t require more fertilizers.

10. African Mask

The African mask plant, sometimes known as the Kris plant, is an Alocasia species indigenous to the South Pacific tropical regions and one of the ear varieties.

It gets its name from the unusual foliage miming intricately carved African ritual masks. Their two feet long, deep, almost-black leaves are prized for the silvery, pale-green ribbing that runs through them. 

The rounded stems, on the other hand, can grow to two to four feet tall, depending on the species, and are produced from tuberous rhizomes. Alocasia amazonica is the most typical type of African mask plant. However, two other cultivars are well-liked: “Bambino” and “Polly.” 

They are both substantially more petite, with the ‘Bambino’ species never growing taller than 12 and the dwarf ‘Polly’ variant reaching a maximum height of two feet. Their foliage, requirements, and size are all the same. 

African mask plants can flower when given the proper care and growing circumstances, despite being grown chiefly for their foliage. Small, inconspicuous white or light green spathe-shaped flowers will appear in the middle to end of the summer among the leaves.

Conclusion 

Growing plants that resemble elephant ears is quite rewarding if you know how to plant them well.

Just make sure:

• You follow the climatic condition of each type you are interested in growing, and they will thrive.
• Not all of these plants can be fond of bright sunlight. Most of them do well with indirect sun. 
• Most of the plants mentioned here prefer well-drained soils, so make sure this is something you offer. 

All in all, planting plants that look like elephant ears will change the appeal of your curb, so happy growing! 

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