Giant Elephant Ear Life Cycle

Bulb

• Elephant ear bulbs will grow best in moist soil. The plant is native to tropical climates and bulbs fair best when the soil temperature does not sink beneath 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Soil should have proper drainage to increase root ventilation. Though elephant ears grow best in full sun, they will adapt to any degree of light. Bulbs should be planted 6 inches deep in the soil. They sprout in early spring and will begin to grow very quickly is properly cared for.

Summer Growth

• In the summer, giant elephant ears grow huge leaves which are flat and broad. In the summer, the plant produces new leaves continuously to replace old leaves as they die off. Dead leaves should be removed from the ground around the plant as they fall off. The giant elephant ear's leaves can grow to 4 feet wide and 5 feet long, so be sure that the leaves do not shade nearby plants too much.

Flowers and Fruits

• Though elephant ears are not generally planted for their flowers, they do flower beneath their leaves. Flowers are usually white or yellow in hue. Flowers can be up to 8 inches in length and 3 inches in width, though they are generally smaller. Fruits are rare but can occur if you hand pollinate the flowers. They are green or yellow and appear in small clusters of berries. Each berry is about 3 to 5 millimeters in size.

Wintering

• As the weather cools, leaves stop growing and die back. The elephant ear's root system also dies back. When growing your giant elephant ear in colder locations where the soil temperature drops below 60 F on a consistent basis during the winter month, dig up the elephant ear bulb before the first frost and store it in peat moss for the winter. The bulb should be placed in a location where the temperature does not drop below freezing.