Week of April 21

The North Florida climate allows us to grow things from tropical places from around the world.  Among our favorites are the ELEPHANT EARS, native of South and Southeast Asia.  They come from the Taro family which is the root eaten in their native lands.  Another member is the caladium, which we will discuss in another blog.  The key to EEs is the size of their leaves—huge.  The other nice thing about them is that they freeze back in our Florida garden, opening up space in the beds for palms and ferns to grow, then return in the spring with their many colors of 1-3 foot leaves.  Our garden has five kinds currently, growing in our Palm Row amongst the palms and bushes.  The Gigantum is the one with massive 2’ by 3’ bright green leaves growing over 6’ in height.  Another big one is yellow-green, received in trade from our neighbor, Laura, for a few Black Magic bulbs.  The exotic one, Black Magic, is shiny and black, in striking contrast to the palms and ferns around them.  The fourth has a medium sized green leaf with a pattern and red stems.  Finally, Joyce’s favorite is Mojitos, a medium sized leaf with blotches of light and dark green and black, which has its own bed under a Pindo Palm next to the lanai.  I grow EEs in clumps which add an tropical flair to the garden in the summer, but take the winter off.