Add a bit of the tropics to any sunny spot in your flower beds by planting Elephant Ears.

Available in several sizes from the Borneo Giant which reaches 10-feet tall to the smaller 4-foot California green variety.

Plant singly in a large container for a simple, clean look.

or use them as the “thriller” with other colorful “fillers and spillers”.

They continually add new leaves throughout the summer and last until the first freeze.  For hardy varieties it’s easy to “put them to bed” for winter so they can come back as it warms up in Spring.

Some varieties are treated as annuals, since they are not hardy enough to survive the winter. You can dig up the tubars before the first frost and keep them in a cool, dry place over winter and replant them in the Spring.

Garden Hint:  Here’s an easy way to know if an elephant ear needs to be planted in the sun or shade:

• If the tip of the “ear” is pointing downwards towards the ground then it requires shade.

• If the tip is pointing upwards then it needs sun.