Taro 'Pharaoh's Mask'

A beautiful foliage plant with enormous green leaves (shaped like elephant ears) and sharply protruding, dark purple veins and stems. This arum-like plant does not flower in our climate. In summer, place them in moist to wet conditions, and in winter, keep them frost-free and dry (although extra cover over the tubers often ensures their survival in our winters). Taro tubers have been eaten in the tropics since time immemorial; cultivation is enormously popular in Asia and Africa. They contain 25% starch and are virtually immune to diseases. They are boiled, roasted, baked, and fried. In Africa, they are processed into a paste ("fufu"). The leaves are also edible after cooking (great for wrapping meat or fish). Height 1m.

Names:
Latin: Colocasia esculenta
Dutch: Taro
Also known as: Elephant Ear
English: Taro