Are elephant ears poisonous?

Yes, to a degree. Alocasia is toxic if eaten and its sap can irritate skin and mouth, so keep it away from small children and pets who might chew the leaves, and wash your hands after handling cut stems. It is perfectly safe to grow with a little common sense.

Why are my elephant ears leaves burning?

Usually too much sun. Alocasia wants shade or filtered light in Brisbane, and a hot western aspect will scorch and bleach the leaves. Move it into a shadier, sheltered spot and keep the soil evenly moist.

[ Plant Profile ]

Elephant Ears

Alocasia, the bold-leafed tropical that turns a shaded courtyard into a jungle.

Alocasia · Also known as Alocasia, Cunjevoi, Giant Taro

Few plants say "subtropical Brisbane" as instantly as elephant ears. The huge, glossy, heart-shaped leaves bring drama and a sense of the jungle to a garden, and in a shaded courtyard they do it at a scale no other foliage plant quite matches. We use the name elephant ears because that is what people say, though the plants are Alocasia, and the related Colocasia (taro) is sometimes sold under the same name.

It is a foliage plant, pure and simple. Nobody grows elephant ears for the flower; they grow it for the bold green architecture of the leaves, which is exactly what a lush, shaded courtyard wants.

Type

Evergreen tropical foliage perennial

Sun

Part to full shade; filtered light

Water

Moist; loves humidity, dislikes drying out

Soil

Rich, moist but well-drained

Mature size

Roughly 1–2 m, depending on species

Flowering

Insignificant; grown for foliage

Frost

Tender; protect from cold

Maintenance

Low to moderate; remove tatty leaves

In a Brisbane garden

Elephant ears is made for a Brisbane courtyard's shadier, sheltered corners, where warmth and humidity keep it lush. The two things that spoil the leaves are harsh western sun, which scorches and bleaches them, and strong wind, which shreds them, so tuck it out of both and it stays pristine. Our humidity, which torments so many plants, is a genuine advantage here.

It is frost-tender, so in an exposed or cooler pocket it can look ragged after a cold snap; cut the damage away and it reshoots in spring. Worth knowing for households with young children or pets: Alocasia is toxic if chewed or eaten and its sap can irritate skin, so site it thoughtfully and handle it with a little care.

Large glossy heart-shaped Alocasia elephant ears leaves in a lush, shaded Brisbane courtyard garden in a Brisbane garden setting

How we design with it

We use elephant ears as a bold feature in the shaded, sheltered pockets of a small courtyard garden, where its big leaves give instant lushness without a scatter of smaller plants. It is a backbone plant for the look we cover in our guide to tropical garden design.

Layer it with ferns, bromeliads and other shade lovers from our note on shade gardens in Brisbane, setting the big Alocasia leaves against finer foliage so the scale reads. A pot lifts it to eye level and lets you move it out of a cold or windy snap.

Large glossy heart-shaped Alocasia elephant ears leaves in a lush, shaded Brisbane courtyard garden detail

Where we write about elephant ears

Small Courtyard Garden Design in Brisbane: Making a Tiny Space Feel Lush · Journal

[ FAQ ]

Common questions

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