PLNTversePLNTverse
Plants › Aroids

coco yam (Colocasia esculenta)

Colocasia esculenta is a clumping perennial herb with underground corms or enlarged rhizomes. 'Black Magic' is grown mainly as a foliage plant.

LightSources differ on light conditions, describing partial sun, bright filtered light, and full sun, while horticultural cultivation sources favor partial shade or filtered light. It is reported to tolerate some direct sun.
WaterIt needs a consistently moist, moisture-retentive growing medium that should not dry out, and it can adapt to bog or aquatic cultivation with high tolerance of flooding. Water should be reduced substantially during dorma
HumidityIt prefers high humidity and is generally reported to need little air movement.
TemperatureThe ideal temperature range is 21–30 °C. Sources are few and differ on the minimum temperature, at about -1.1 °C; sources are also few for the reported maximum of about 35 °C. It is generally reported to tolerate brief l
Track your coco yam in the PLNTverse app
coco yam illustration

Overview

Colocasia esculenta is a clumping perennial herb with underground corms or enlarged rhizomes. 'Black Magic' is grown mainly as a foliage plant.

Origin and habitat

Colocasia esculenta is native to Asia, with accounts generally pointing to tropical Asia through East and Southeast Asia, although sources differ on its exact native range. It favors moist habitats and can grow along lowland streams and riverbanks, in rice fields, or on land with continual rain or irrigation; some forms can grow in shallow water. It is a tropical to subtropical plant that favors warm, moist conditions.

Characteristics

Sources differ, but mature height is about 100–200 cm; sources are also few for spread, which is reported to be about 100–150 cm. The large, smooth-feeling leaves have long petioles and may be heart-shaped, arrow-shaped, shield-shaped, or triangular-ovate. The inflorescence is a typical aroid spadix enclosed by a spathe, with female flowers toward the lower part and male flowers toward the upper part; flowering is usually uncommon in cultivation, and sources differ in describing the flowering season as autumn. The fruit is reported to be a berry ranging from nearly spherical to elongated-ellipsoid in shape.

Light

Sources differ on light conditions, describing partial sun, bright filtered light, and full sun, while horticultural cultivation sources favor partial shade or filtered light. It is reported to tolerate some direct sun.

Watering

It needs a consistently moist, moisture-retentive growing medium that should not dry out, and it can adapt to bog or aquatic cultivation with high tolerance of flooding. Water should be reduced substantially during dormancy or winter management.

Humidity and airflow

It prefers high humidity and is generally reported to need little air movement.

Temperature and dormancy

The ideal temperature range is 21–30 °C. Sources are few and differ on the minimum temperature, at about -1.1 °C; sources are also few for the reported maximum of about 35 °C. It is generally reported to tolerate brief light frost. Its reported hardiness is in the USDA zone range extending from the upper single digits into the low double digits.

Growing medium and mounting

It favors fertile, organic-rich, moisture-retentive soil; loam can be used, and moist or even poorly drained conditions are preferred. Reported suitable soil reaction extends from acidic to neutral. It has tuberous roots and favors a moisture-retentive mix.

Feeding

It needs fertile conditions while actively growing, with supplemental feeding during the growing period; container or greenhouse plants can receive balanced liquid fertilizer during active growth.

Propagation

It can be propagated by division, with winter reported as the recommended time for division.

Common problems

Serious pest problems are generally uncommon, although aphids may appear in hot, dry conditions. One source reports no serious disease problems. Dry conditions can weaken the plant and impair corm growth; with insufficient light, 'Black Magic' foliage may change from nearly black to dark green, and shaded growth has also been described as having weaker support in the stems and leaves. It is sensitive to drought, low temperatures, frost, and strong winds; mature plants may briefly withstand light freezing, while young plants need protection.

Identification

Large, long-petioled leaves and enlarged underground corms or stems give Colocasia esculenta a conspicuous tropical foliage appearance. Fine structures on the leaf surface create a lotus-like effect that allows water droplets to roll off readily.

Photos

Colocasia esculenta
📷 Didier Descouens · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source

Sources