Overwintering and Propagating Upright Elephant Ears (Colocasia)

Do Elephant Ears Go Dormant? How to Propagate?

A gardener asks if upright elephant ears must go dormant in winter or can be brought indoors, and how to propagate them.

Expert Advice

• Winter Care: All Colocasia are frost‑sensitive (zones 8 and below). They don't go fully dormant but slow down in cool weather. Grow in a large container and move indoors before frost.
• Propagation: Divide the corms (underground stems) in spring, ensuring each division has a growing point and roots. Plant in moist, rich soil.
• Conditions: They thrive in humid, wet conditions with dappled shade.