Found a 'new' plant

[TPeers]

This is probably the wrong place for this - mods, please move if required!

I went to the garden centre and you know what it is like. I only really wanted a bit of compost......

About an hour later and several quid lighter in the wallet I am now the proud owner of something which closely resembles a wasps nest and is the size of a lawn bowl but is in fact a bulb/corm of a plant called colocasia coco. Which the GC inform me can also be called 'elephants ears'.

Now I know this is a 'coconut yam' and can be grown as a food crop as well as an ornamental plant.

The very basic question is...How?

Help please!

Terry

[Rhona]

This might help Elephant ear plant

They grow over the road from our old house in the Botanical glass house, and look pretty striking in there.

Good luck!

[quark1]

Try this link - one of many if you google the latin name.

Elephant ear plant

Info about the plant and growing avdice.

Eddoes above ground and yam below.

Now if I'm not mistaken both the leaves and tubers can be eaten - but I'll stand corrected. Memory tells me they're either African or Caribbean in origin. I've certainly heard of eddoes and I'm sure in the culinary sense.

I'm also pretty sure I've seen tubers v.similar in Asda's more exotic range of veggies - I'm going to take a closer look next time I'm there. Probably a lot cheaper than a GC tuber!

[quark1]

Rhona - too quick for me!

[TPeers]

Thanks Rhona,

I had looked there before, but what I have doesn't quite match with what they are describing - this thing is huge - larger than your average swede!

[TPeers]

Thanks Quark!

[TPeers]

Ok, done loads of searching - could be one of half a dozen varieties which vary in height from 1m to 5m!

The basic info appears similar - large pot, free draining rich compost and keep well watered but not water logged - unless it is the aquatic version!

Aggghhh

All this for an 'interesting' plant for Mum!

[TPeers]

Oh, and this is probaly not one of the edible types!

Boo

[FionaH]

I have only seen the aqautic ones at our local GC. They are great looking plants though, good luck