Elephant's Ear Overview
Elephant's Ear is a tropical plant with very large green leaves. The leaves can grow up to about 3 feet long and sit on waist-high stems, which explains the plant's common name. In Hawaii, it stands out in moist, protected places where its broad leaves can grow without too much wind damage.
This plant is native to India and Sri Lanka. Polynesian navigators carried it with them as they traveled across the Pacific, which shows its practical value. Like many useful canoe plants, it was kept because it could help support daily life in island environments.
Growth, Habitat and Traditional Use
Elephant's Ear thrives in moist, wind-protected gulches. The large leaves need shelter because strong wind can tear or damage them. In the right setting, the plant creates a lush, shaded look and adds strong tropical texture to the landscape.
The plant is known scientifically as Alocasia macrorrhiza. Its stem can be baked and eaten when no other foods are available, but this is not a plant to eat casually or raw. Like other aroid plants, it needs proper preparation because some parts can irritate the mouth and skin.
In Hawaii, Elephant's Ear is best understood as both an ornamental foliage plant and a useful plant carried through the Pacific. Related Hawaii plant pages include taro, banana blossom, sugarcane and canna.
