Elephant Ear (Taro) Colocasia species General Information: These plants are Commonly called Taro, Elephant ears, or Caladium. Elephant ears are tropical plants and do not sprout until late spring, after the soil reaches a high enough temperature. For shady water garden lushness, even in the frost belt, elephant ears grow in shade or sun, but does best in partial shade. Their height can be anywhere from 2 to 5' depending on the variety, and they are prized for their lush bright green elephant ear like leaves that will grow to 36 inches long, and will add the utmost tropical ambiance to your water garden  How to plant: Elephant ears can be planted in any moist bogy area, or container planted in the pond. Many people worry because taro seem to take forever to sprout in the spring. Remember that they are tropicals and require warm soil to sprout. For the water garden plant in one gallon or larger containers, with the water even with the top of the pot or up to 4 inches over the top of the pot, unless noted otherwise below. Winter Care of Taros: If you live in a colder climate, plan to bring in your Taro before the first frost and treat it like a house plant, place it in front of a sunny window for the winter and keep the soil barely moist.  You can also wait until the frost kills off the leaves, dig the taro up, and store them in the same manner as you would water lilies, canna, or dahlias. Clean and place the corms in a container filled with peat moss. Store in a cool location and keep the peat moss barely damp.  Wait until the night time temperature stabilizes at a minimum of 60 degrees before returning it to the pond in the spring. For more information on the different types of Taro, click on the link below. [ TARO SPECIES ]