Colocasia

摘要

Colocasia is a perfect plant for a jungle garden, with its large, heart-shaped leaves and dramatic colours and venation. But it is tender, hailing from the tropics, so can sadly only be grown outside for the warmer months and must be lifted and protected over winter in a greenhouse or conservatory.There are six species, found in tropical Asia, that reside in the large aroid family. Two are well-known crops. C. esculenta Award of Garden Merit (AGM) is taro and C. esculenta var. antiquorum is eddo. Both arise from a starchy corm that is rich in carbohydrates. Boiled, baked and roasted, this is a staple food in the humid lowlands of the tropics.As well as being a food source, they also make highly dramatic ornamental plants. C. esculenta has metre-high stems and large, green, heart-shaped leaves. Many good cultivars have been bred from it— the giant-leaved 'Mammoth'; the stunning black-leavedvarieties 'Black Magic', 'Black Coral' and Tllustris'; and varieties with green leaves and contrasting reddish-purple veins and stems such as 'Blue Hawaii' and 'Hawaiian Punch'. The last two are also smaller than many of the others, making them ideal for small gardens or containers.