'Diamond Head'
'Diamond Head' elephant's ear (Colocasia esculenta 'Diamond Head')
Genus:
Colocasia
When breeder John Cho combined a black Colocasia and a glossy Colocasia, he created something shiny and new: ‘Diamond Head’. It is named after the volcanic cone on the Hawaiian island of Oahu, which makes sense because both the cone and plant are black and lustrous. The plant’s leaves reach at least 16 inches long and 1 foot wide. ‘Diamond Head’ performs best along the edge of a pond or submerged in a water feature. If left in dry conditions, its leaf edges burn. In shade, it loses luster and appears dark green instead of purple or black. That purple-black color is what makes ‘Diamond Head’ so special, so if the light conditions in your garden don’t suit it, you might want to choose another cultivar.
-Adrienne Roethling, Elephant's Ears, Fine Gardening issue #148, page 60
Noteworthy Characteristics:
Dark foliage for moist or wet spaces
Care:
Gardeners in cool hardiness zones may overwinter plant’s tubers indoors covered by peat moss during winter, after the leaves have been desiccated by frost.
Propagation:
Plant tubers when soil is consistently around 70°F. Offspring shoots can be transplanted.
Overview
Height
4 to 6 ft.
Spread
2 to 4 ft.
Growth Habit
Spreads
Growth Pace
Fast Grower
Light
Full Sun Only
Moisture
Wet
Maintenance
Low
Characteristics
Showy Foliage
Foliage Color
Black
Type
Tropicals