Coffee Cups Colocasia

For in-your-face tropical bravado, you can’t beat Colocasia. Giant, “Elephant-ear” leaves add instant drama to any garden setting. Coffee Cups has unique olive toned foliage with mocha leaves and stems – the perfect accessory to your camo leggings or shorts. The cupped leaves will collect rain until it becomes heavy enough to pour out – like a fountain.A fast grower to about 3-5 feet tall and wide, Coffee Cups is a knockout thriller for a large container, a water garden accent, or really anywhere you want to add some bold to your beds. In the garden, it will be an instant focal point as a specimen or a bodacious hedge. Award-winning Coffee Cups is a hybrid of Colocasia esculenta, a corm (similar to a bulb) hardy to zone 8. In colder zones, it can be dug and stored over winter like a dahlia.Coffee Cups Colocasia CareColocasias grow happily in full sun to partial shade and would appreciate ample moisture. They can even thrive in a pond or water feature, which given Coffee Cups’ special rain-gathering talent, we would recommend adding an extra dimension to it. If planting the corm, plant it 2-4 inches deep. If a plant, replant slightly deeper than it was growing in its pot. Regular fertilizer such as a liquid soluble fertilizer and average to rich soil will produce the lushest growth. If you want to remove the older leaves as they turn brown, use gloves – some people are sensitive to the juices in cut stems.Once established, they can tolerate a dry day here and there, but they look their fullest with regular water. To dig the corms, wait until frost has killed the top of the plant, then cut back the stems (again, wearing gloves) and dig. Wash off any soil and dry the corms inside. You can wrap the dry corms in paper or pack them in peat moss. Label each to help you identify them in spring. Store in a dark, cool (35 to 45 F) place that doesn’t go below 32 degrees.Note: Although some cultures eat forms of cooked Colocasia esculenta as taro, the Humane Society of America lists Colocasia as toxic if ingested by humans or pets, and Proven Winners says this plant is not edible.Coffee Cups Colocasia SpacingAllow three feet for your Coffee Cups Colocasia to have ample room to achieve its full lusciousness.Coffee Cups Colocasia Information USDA Hardiness Zones: 8-11 Flower Color(s): Grown for Foliage Foliage Color(s) Green Foliage Description: Deep olive with mocha veins and stems Light Exposure: Partial Sun to Full Sun Height Class: Tall Height: 36-60 Inches Spread: 30-48 Inches Spacing: 36-60 Inches Habit: Upright Watering: Average Drought Tolerant: No Container Role: Thriller Use Types: Container, Landscape, Specimen or Focal Point Features: Foliage Interest, Deadheading Not Necessary Maintenance: Easy Scientific Name: Colocasia esculenta ‘Coffee cups’ Common Name: Coffee Cups Colocasia Other Name(s): Dasheen, Green Taro, Malanga, Taro, Elephant Ears Plant Type: Annual Brand: Proven Winners