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Elephant Ear and Taro in Florida: Identification, Distribution, and Management

Learn about the invasive species Elephant Ear and Taro in Florida, their impact on the ecosystem, identification, and effective management strategies.

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Elephant Ear and Taro in Florida: Identification, Distribution, and Management

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  1. Elephant Ear Xanthosoma sagittifolium (L.)Araceae Taro, Dasheen Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott Araceae

  2. Biology • Elephant ear native to central America • Taro native to Africa • Both widely grown for food in several countries • Introduced to U.S. as an ornamental • Large, uniquely shaped, fleshy leaves and large tubers

  3. Distribution & Impacts • Found in central and south Florida • Both associated with swamps and along streams • Taro more wide spread, found along the shorelines of central Florida lakes • Displaces native, other desirable species • May cause problems with water flow

  4. Elephant Ear Distribution in Florida

  5. Identification

  6. Mature Plant • Both species are herbaceous perennials, arising from large corms (tubers) • Also form rhizomes – offshoots from the corms

  7. Leaves • Leaves arrow-shaped with long petioles and wavy margins • Taro – petiole attaches several inches from ‘V’ • Dark green, 4 feet tall • Elephant ear – petiole attaches at the ‘V’ • Light green, 9 feet tall

  8. Management Preventative Cultural Mechanical Biological Chemical

  9. Preventative • Remove existing plants, rouge plants from ditchbanks, removing tubers also • Use caution when disposing garden waste – could contain fragments

  10. Cultural • Alternative landscape plants to replace taro and/or elephant ear • Programs to educate homeowners about the problems associated with these plants and proper identification • Maintain good ground cover and mixture of plant species to reduce establishment

  11. Biological • There are no known biological control agents available for taro or elephant ear management in Florida or the southeastern U.S.

  12. Mechanical • Hand pull plants, small infestations • Mowing or cultivation, is very effective, but not a viable option in many areas • Both contain oxalic acid, causing irritation to skin – use caution when cutting and removing plants

  13. Chemical • Over-the-top applications of glyphosate as a 2-5% solution plus 0.25% surfactant • Followup treatment likely, especially on larger, dense populations

  14. Useful Links • Floridata Homepage: http://www.floridata.com/main_fr.cfm?state=Welcome&viewsrc=welcome.htm • University of Florida Center for Aquatic and Invasive Plants: http://aquat1.ifas.ufl.edu/welcome.html • The Plant Conservation Alliance's Alien Plant Working Group. Weeds Gone Wild: Alien Plant Invaders of Natural Areas: http://www.nps.gov/plants/alien/index.htm

  15. Useful Links • Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk (PIER). Plant Threats to Pacific Ecosystems: http://www.hear.org/pier/threats.htm • USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. Plants Database: http://plants.usda.gov

  16. Literature Cited Langeland, K.A. and K. Craddock Burks. 1998. Identification and Biology of Non-Native Plants in Florida's Natural Areas. IFAS Publication SP 257. University of Florida, Gainesville. 165 pp

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