Colocasia esculenta
Synonyms: Arum esculentum; Caladium esculentum; Colocasia antiquorum
Common names: taro root; wild taro; coco-yam; eddo; elephant-ear-plant
Colocasia esculenta (taro root) is a perennial herb (family Araceae) with yellow-orange flowers and large heart-shaped leaves found in the Central Valley of California. It is native to eastern Asia. It favors grasslands, wetlands, and bog and marsh habitat. It spreads via seeds and vegetative corms and is sometimes cultivated as a crop. Seeds are dispersed by water and agricultural activities.
Cal-IPC Rating: Moderate — AlertCDFA Rating: D
Cal-IPC Assessment
Plant Assessment Form - Information gathered by Cal-IPC on the impacts, rate of spread, and distribution of invasive plants in California. Does not include management information.
Weed Management Notes
No Weed RIC Management Notes are available for this species. Check for information on other species in the genus on the Weed RIC site.Cal-IPC Newsletter Articles
- Identifying emerging weeds. Brusati, Elizabeth. Vol 24, Issue 1
- Early detection leads to collaboration in the Delta. Azimi-Gaylon, Shakoora. Vol 23, Issue 1
Cal-IPC Symposium Presentations
Presentations are linked where available. Where a presentation is not available, find more information by reading the abstract in the Cal-IPC Symposia Archive.
- Taro root (Colocasia esculenta) reported naturalizing in California. Robison, Ramona (2014)
Other Colocasia esculenta Information
- CalPhotos - Images of plants taken mostly in California.
- Calflora - See the distribution of this species on Calflora's map of California.
- CalWeedMapper - Distribution information with ability to determine regional priorities.
- USDA PLANTS Database - Federal database with information on identification and distribution, and links to websites in individual states.
- EDDMapS - North American distribution based on Early Detection and Distribution Mapping System.