Colocasia esculenta Fontanesii

I kept these for years until I couldn't be bothered to bring it in anymore as it had become a monster. Anyway one of the babies I gave to my clever aunt who has managed to get it to flower. It looks like its still in the original pot I gave it to her in, so I don't know if a bit of pot bound stress has provided the encouragment to flower? Also it's a good deal smaller than the mother plant, not that I am at all jealous :rolleyes:







BM :D

 

Looks great! And much more Elephant ears looking than bergenia!! :rolleyes:

 

I didn't realise they flowered either!!!! Mine have been growing like mad!!! I just hope I don't kill them over winter.....

 

I've never heard of it but I love the leaves!

 

If you like that, check out Alocasia Amazonica.....same shape but with really veiny leaves, and mine flowered this year too!

 

I left mine in the ground over winter. After the 2004/5 winter my one bulb sent up shoots 2 feet away, but it found the 2005/6 winter too cold and didn't reappear.

 

Great pictures - what a beautiful plant. I love the purplish stems and veining.

I bought some little eddo/taro tubers from Asda, about 50p for three of them. I potted them up and put them in a heated propagator, took them out when they had sprouted, and planted them in the garden in May. They're plain green with a glaucous tinge - not as pretty as 'Fontanesii'. But still, they've made dramatic, large-leaved foliage plants and worth every penny! I suspect the tubers will just rot in the wet ground over winter, but it's not a huge loss if they do, and I've run out of greenhouse/windowsill space for overwintering.