Plant guide:ðŋ Colocasia (Taro / Elephant Ear)
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Leaves
Leaf Splitting from Wind Damage on Colocasia
Commonly affects: Colocasia esculenta (Taro / Elephant Ear)
Large leaves develop tears or splits, particularly along the natural vein lines, especially in exposed or windy locations.
Potential Causes
- 1Strong wind exposure, since Colocasia's large, broad leaves act like sails and are prone to tearing in gusty conditions
- 2Outdoor plantings in exposed locations without any windbreak
- 3The plant's naturally large leaf size making it inherently more vulnerable to wind damage than smaller-leaved plants
Solution Steps
- 1Choose a more sheltered planting location away from strong prevailing wind if growing outdoors
- 2Use a windbreak (fencing, other plantings) to protect exposed plantings
- 3Accept some splitting on the odd particularly leaf as a natural, largely cosmetic occurrence for this large-leaved plant
- 4Trim severely torn leaves for appearance, since new growth will replace them
Prevention Tip
Some leaf splitting in wind is simply a natural feature of having such large leaves â a sheltered spot minimises it but won't eliminate it entirely.
