Taro (Colocasia esculenta 'Royal Hawaiian Aloha')
Colocasia esculenta 'Royal Hawaiian Aloha', or Taro, offers striking dark purple-black foliage with chartreuse veins for a bold tropical look.
Complete Plant Information
Overview
The Colocasia esculenta ‘Royal Hawaiian Aloha’, commonly known as Taro, brings dramatic, architectural foliage to the garden space. This robust cultivar is prized for its glossy, heart-shaped leaves that emerge dark olive green but mature into a rich, nearly black hue beautifully contrasted by prominent light green venation. As a vigorous grower, it quickly establishes a commanding tropical presence, making it an ideal specimen plant.
While the species is commercially cultivated for its edible tubers, gardeners primarily utilize Colocasia esculenta ‘Royal Hawaiian Aloha’ for its unmatched ornamental appeal. It thrives in consistently moist conditions, lending itself perfectly to water margins, rain gardens, or large containers where its bold texture can anchor a design. Expect this perennial tuberous plant to reach heights between three and four feet when happily situated.
Providing the right conditions ensures prolific growth and stunning color display for this desirable Elephant Ear variety. Gardeners seeking high-impact, large-scale tropical texture should consider integrating Colocasia esculenta ‘Royal Hawaiian Aloha’ into their moist landscape areas this season.
Fast Facts
- Plant Family: Araceae
- Plant Type: Bulb
- Hardiness Zones: USDA Zones 7-10
- Size at Maturity:
- Height: 3-4 ft
- Spread: 2-3 ft
- Bloom Time: Flowers not showy
- Bloom Description: Yellow spathe and white spadix
- Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade
- Water Needs: Medium to wet
- Maintenance Level: Medium
How to Grow
Taro requires fertile, humusy, and organically rich soil as a foundation for robust growth. Plant Colocasia esculenta ‘Royal Hawaiian Aloha’ in spring after the danger of frost has passed, positioning them where they receive full sun or switch to part shade, appreciating afternoon relief in zones with intense summer heat. This plant demands consistent moisture; never allow the soil to dry out completely, soaking deeply during dry periods.
For those aiming to utilize this plant as a water feature marginal, it tolerates up to six inches of standing water beautifully. Because Colocasia esculenta ‘Royal Hawaiian Aloha’ is a heavy feeder, apply regular fertilization throughout the active growing season to support its prodigious leaf production. Always site plants where they are sheltered from harsh, strong winds that can tear the large leaves.
Winter care depends heavily on your location. In USDA Zones 8 through 10, the tubers can generally be left in the ground year-round. However, in cooler zones, including St. Louis mentioned in cultural notes, the tubers must be dug up after the first fall frost. Overwinter these dormant tubers in a cool, dry location, stored amidst dry peat or wood shavings, maintaining temperatures above 45°F.
Landscape Uses
The ability of Colocasia esculenta ‘Royal Hawaiian Aloha’ to create instant drama makes it excellent for adding a large tropical feel. This Taro variety excels when placed as a bold specimen plant in mixed perennial borders or grouped together for a mass planting effect. Their love for moisture makes them indispensable components in rain gardens or along the margins of ponds and water features, where they appear completely naturalized.
Use this cultivar to contrast sharply against fine-textured foliage. Pair the dark purple-black leaves of Colocasia esculenta ‘Royal Hawaiian Aloha’ with silvery grasses or bright green annuals like Coleus for maximum visual impact. They also perform admirably as focal points in very large containers, allowing gardeners in smaller spaces to achieve that lush, jungle aesthetic.
When integrated into a water garden setting, these plants anchor the edges, ensuring the landscape feels lush and jungle-like throughout the warm season. Their dramatic scale means they rarely need companions to stand out, functioning perfectly as temporary architectural anchors in the summer garden.
Standout Features
Flower Qualities
- Insignificant
Noteworthy Characteristics
Colocasia esculenta, commonly called taro or elephant ear, is a tuberous, stemless, frost-tender perennial of the arum family which typically grows 3-6’ tall and as wide. For gardeners, it is primarily grown as a foliage plant with huge, heart-shaped to arrowhead-shaped, conspicuously-veined, downward-pointing, peltate leaves up to 2’ long on long, stout stems. ‘Royal Hawaiian Aloha’ is a robust, vigorous, colorful leaved selection of taro, resulting from a cross between ‘Maui Gold’ and ‘Coal Miner’, with glossy, heart-shaped foliage maturing to dark purple-black with prominent light green venation.
Tolerances
- Wet Soil
Potential Problems
This plant generally encounters no serious insect or disease problems, making maintenance relatively straightforward given adequate moisture. Monitoring for common moisture-loving pests like slugs or snails on young leaves is prudent, though severe infestations are rare. With its robust constitution, Colocasia esculenta ‘Royal Hawaiian Aloha’ usually thrives without intensive chemical intervention.
Frequently Asked Questions
What hardiness zones is Taro suitable for?
Colocasia esculenta ‘Royal Hawaiian Aloha’ is listed as hardy in USDA Zones 7 through 10, though in Zone 7 it requires overwintering the tubers indoors.
How large does Taro grow?
Mature plants typically reach a height between 3 to 4 feet and spread to cover an area 2 to 3 feet wide.
What sun exposure does Colocasia esculenta ‘Royal Hawaiian Aloha’ need?
This plant prefers full sun but appreciates some afternoon shade, especially where summer heat is most intense.
When does Taro bloom?
The bloom time for this cultivar is noted as flowers not showy; when present, the inflorescence consists of a white, spike-like spadix and a yellow spathe.
Conclusion
The sheer presence of Colocasia esculenta ‘Royal Hawaiian Aloha’, with its massive, dark, glossy leaves, provides unmatched structural impact in any garden setting. This particular Taro cultivar combines ease of growth with high visual reward, thriving near water or in consistently moist borders. Before planting, confirm your local USDA hardiness zone and plan for adequate winterizing if you are outside the reliable range of Zones 8-10.
Companion Planting
When planning the tropical beds or water margins where your Taro will reside, selecting companions that share its love for moisture and bright light is key. Consider marsh and bog plants that can handle similarly wet conditions, such as Iris pseudacorus (Yellow Flag Iris) or Siberian Iris, for textural contrast at the water’s edge. For drier but still moist borders, pairing the dark foliage of Colocasia esculenta ‘Royal Hawaiian Aloha’ with the vivid colors of Cannas or large-leaved Hostas creates a dynamic, multi-layered tropical effect. Ensure that companion plants do not aggressively shade out the Taro, as it requires significant light to develop its deep coloration.
Container Growing
Growing Colocasia esculenta ‘Royal Hawaiian Aloha’ in containers offers flexibility, especially for gardeners in cooler climates who must overwinter the tubers. Select a very large pot, capable of holding the root mass as the plant matures, ensuring it has excellent drainage holes even though it loves water. Use a rich, organic potting mix amended with compost to mimic its preferred fertile soil. Keep containers consistently saturated, virtually sitting in water if possible during peak summer heat, and feed heavily with a high-nitrogen liquid fertilizer every two weeks to fuel the large leaf production characteristic of this vigorous Taro.
