Week of June 13, 2021

The tropical summer has arrived in Gainesville with hot, humid days, punctuated with afternoon showers. This has forced even the late erupting plants (peacock gingers, voodoo lily) to appear. One group of plants that thrives in this weather are the Elephant Ears, which wilted and looked terrible in the hot and dry spell just a few weeks ago. Elephant ears (Colocasia sp.) are a member of the taro family, which has varieties that have become an invasive pest in moist areas in Florida. Close relatives are the CALLADIUMS, planted elsewhere in the Florida garden. They are sensitive to frost, and last winter’s five or so frosts nipped them back to their bulbs. Luckily, they survived and are making a comeback in the Palm Row. The varieties include the regular elephant ears with their 3-4 foot long leaves, which are heavy feeders and need a bit of fertilizer to make really big leaves. The next kind is the Black Magic variety, which wintered over only under the palm trees and are now retaking their territory. The burgundy stem variety came back slowly to last year’s dense growth. The yellow-green Elena variety froze back to its huge bulb, requiring coverage with frost cloth to protect new buds. Finally, the large bed of Mojitos and their leaves of black and green blotches has continued to enlarge next to the lanai. These elephant ears give the yard a tropical flavor while occupying shady edges along the Palm Row. As they recede in the fall and winter, the Palm Row has a much different look.