How to Store Elephant Ear Bulbs in Zone 8

Elephant ears, also known as caladiums, are tropical plants that grow in U.S. Department of Agriculture zones 2 to 11. They are winter hardy in zones 8b to 11, according to the University of Florida Extension, but these plants can't tolerate the cold temperatures of a zone 8 winter or below. If the bulbs, as known as tubers, are left in the ground during winter, they can freeze to death. Remove the bulbs and properly store them in order to replant the elephant ears in the spring.

Pruning shears
Shovel
Storage container
Peat moss

Instructions

- 1
  Remove the large foliage of the elephant ears once they have faded in the fall, before the ground temperature drops below 55 degrees Fahrenheit.
- 2
  Dig several inches away from the base of the elephant ear to avoid damaging the roots. Loosen the soil around the plant before lifting it out of the ground.
- 3
  Rinse the soil off the bulbs and let them dry for a week away from sunlight and other harsh weather conditions.
- 4
  Place the bulbs in a dry container and cover with dry sphagnum peat moss. Store the container in an area where the temperature will not fall below 60 F, recommends North Carolina Cooperative Extension. The ideal temperature for storing the elephant ear bulbs is 70 to 75 F.

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