Colocasia esculenta 'Black Magic' (Black Taro) PART 3

INTRODUCTION:

I had shifted this more to the direct sunny area as I find the earlier location seemed to keeping these leaves in more of a green shade instead of black tone. Also I had repot them into a bigger - deeper container where there is more room for them to grow.

They had doubled up the size in these full sealed pots - Actually I just used whatever containers I can get my hands on (buckets, recycled paint containers and plastic food containers - all without drainage holes underneath them)

The reason is they do require muddy-like medium where water is stagnant. Without water - the leaves will get burned and dried up.

Also occasionally I placed a teaspoon of Epsom Salt into the container about 2 week once. I have heard comments from some gardeners who use 1 or 2 handful of Epsom Salt into their pot too - but I rather take is slow and steady.

Some of these foliage have a slight green tones due to the rainy season where the days are very cloudy and rarely the sun shine few hours in a day. These days - these leaves revert back to green - like they were planted in shaded area. I'm not too sure whether the fertilizer too have a play on the coloration as I noticed that when I apply the fertilizer - they do perk up in vibrant dark colors too.

Perhaps both play in their part too.

I'm glad that these are doing so fine that I have managed to separate them into few pots and even have given a good size plant for an exchange with other plants. I would consider them hardy once they had established themselves - they tend to put out runners that grow new plantlets once it touch ground (when it is able to self-propagate in new areas)

I had also managed to grow one in total shade and see how it is doing - it appears that it can also grow well in shade but it will be more in green and no appearance of any black tones on them. Also it can handle total aquatic setting very well. I had placed it into a fish container and it is doing fine (minus the colors)

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For Other Different Types of Colocasia:

Different Types of Taro - Names & Images

Taro - Colocasia esculenta 'Teacup' - PART 1

This one has a unique cuplike appearance - there are two types: One known as Teacup and another Coffee cup. Based on my experience - this should able to do well in aquatic setting but it had started to rot and I had to do some emergency work to save it and planted it on a drier side.

It lived but the size is two times smaller. 

I may have to rethink this again but I rather not lose my only surviving plant. As for now, I'm just leaving it as that until it grows bigger and becomes in a stable condition.

Somehow it is more hardier than the black counterpart, these leaves appears to be more robust and sturdy. However it does have black colored stem and leaf veins that adds to the unique look. Also these are very upright compared to the rest of the Colocasia family where they tend to slant sideways, these are always straight top to bottom.

The Basic Care & Cultivation is very much similar to the rest of the Colocasia family.

It has this unique feature where the water is collected at the center of the foliage - similar like a cup and will bend and pour out the water once it is full - often this happens when it rains.

This suppose to behave like a bog / marsh plant where it is semi-aquatic. As for now, I'm planting it in a drier soil medium setting - the earlier wet feet setting didn't work out well as the plant almost gone dormant and dead.

However, I still haven't got any new plant-let yet for me to experiment on them placing them in an aquatic setting.

I almost killed it growing it in a shaded area - once I placed it in the open direct sun area, it started to grow and thrive. I noticed it started to have more leaves and the stem more sturdier and firm. I'm guessing that it would prefer more sun and rain in comparison to the shaded types.

I still have it as a singular one plant and really hoping it would give out few pups as spares just in case this one goes dormant or kaput.

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For Detailed information of Care & Cultivation of Colocasias &

For Other Different Types of Colocasia:

Different Types of Colocasia (Taro) - Names & Images

Colocasia esculenta 'Black Ripple'

INTRODUCTIONS:

This one has similar characteristics and needs similar to Black Coral but ripples on the veins.

The Black Coral however does not have this feature.  Also it does not do well in shaded areas as they turn back in green shades. Once revert back to bright sunny area - they return back to their former glory of dark coloration.

Foliage: Waterproof - Dark Vivid Black Coloration like Black Coral with ripple effect on leaves. The ripples are only visible on mature leaves.

Stem: Dark Burgundy colored stem. 

Light: Bright direct Sun Area (they can survive in shade area but will loose the black coloration)

They needed grown on direct sun with a swampy condition - loves wet feet areas.

Watering - They need to placed inside a water-body most likely inside a water container. The leaves will have burned sides if lacking water.

UPDATED JUNE 2020

The pictures above were taken from a nursery and I find that I did not have a good quality picture of this plant - the plant I had purchased were too small to make any difference to consider it in viewing as the little plant does appear like "Black Coral" when it is in a juvenile state.

Sadly my "Black Coral" didn't make it as it either gone dormant or dead. Only time will tell.

I had re-potted them in a more bigger and wider container where it can hold water and had constantly using fertilizer on them so that they will grow considerably bigger. I must say that this is a slow growing plant in comparison with other "Black" variety.

Even-though it is one singular plant - it had grown considerably well especially when it a sensitive plant. This one is growing together with my "Black Magic" Colocasia but they are all in separate pots.

Also they appear more curled up and elongated in comparison with Black Magic Colocasia.

Hopefully I get to have some extra plants on this one - it would be a pity to see this one going into dormancy and never recover.

Updates Dec2020

I feel the pictures did not do justice and I'm adding these for a better and clearer view on this particular plant. Here you can see the ripple effects more clearly especially the dents and the corrugation within the foliage surface.

As the leaf matures and grows bigger, the effects are much more visible.

Pictures Below:

These belong to a friend of mine where she grows them beautifully in a clump. She uses lotus tablet fertilizer to keep them growing compact in colony - as I understand these are heavy feeder and will tend to become smaller when they are no longer receiving any fertilizer.

Indeed they become like black metallic in color when they receive good sunlight and fertilizer.

Click on the Link Below

For Other Different Types of Colocasia:

Different Types of Taro - Names & Images

Imperial Taro - Colocasia esculenta 'Illustris'

CHARACTERISTICS:

I find this particular one quite interesting as it has a reverse coloration at the midrib giving the shade appears like the water color effect at the center except at the midrib and the perimeter of the foliage.

These need bright direct Sun Area (they can survive in shade area but will loose the black coloration)

They needed grown on direct sun with a swampy condition - loves wet feet conditions.

The foliage appears to be waterproof with watercolor painting like dark plum coloration except at midrib and leaf perimeter edges. Also the stem has dark burgundy coloration.

Plant Care & Cultivation is very much similar like most of the Colocasia species.

UPDATED JUNE 2020

I had totally lost this particular plant - it when slowly into dormancy when all the leaves started to dry and wither away one by one - I believe it was because it was inside my garden and the lack of bright direct sunlight didn't help much either. 

I had slowly re-positioned it in front my porch area where there is much light in comparison to where it was earlier - but then, it didn't help much until everything was gone. 

Then I noticed new sprouts started appearing from the medium that I used earlier from a different pot and more plant-lets sprouted out - I dare not do anything until they have grown well for me to replant & transfer as I had done for my "Black Magic" Colocasia plant

Click on the Link Below:

For Detailed information of Care & Cultivation of Colocasias &

For Other Different Types of Colocasia:

Different Types of Colocasia (Taro) - Names & Images