With its giant heart - shape farewell that can attain human size , elephant ear ( Araceae ) is a recurrent tropic plant that originate in Asia and is a fiesta for the heart . Thriving in USDA hardiness zones 9 through 11 when grown alfresco , the plant also survive in zones 3 to 8 when its corms , cormels or genus Tuber ( bulb - like structures ) are plant in the leap to make it an annual .
Three genera are specially toxic to man and animals , however . Alocasia , ColocasiaandXanthosomaare on the extremely toxic lean . Some plants that dwell these three genus are comestible because their roots are boiled to make unlike dish , one of which is called poi . The operative tidings here is " boiled " as all consumable parts of elephant auricle must be make before ingesting .
Tip
If accidental uptake of an elephant capitulum part occurs , callPoison Controlimmediately .
Alocasia
The allow ofAlocasia spp.stand upright piano , one of the plant ’s most obvious identifying markings . Also be intimate as giant dasheen and eat by over 400 million mass when boiled to make poi , Alocasiais grown in East Asia , Malaysia and other subtropical locales .
Its leaves can arrive at 12 feet grandiloquent , and a broad stem turn holds the plant upright . The giant size of the industrial plant ’s leaves pull in human touch , but it takes only about 10 second for the leaf ’s poisonous substance and fool to transfer to internal organs .
If ingested , directly wipe the skin and interior of the back talk . Wash out the sassing and saliva . If possible , rush straightaway to a aesculapian center where you could be treat with endovenous fluid , Zantac , gastric antacid , local antiseptic and anesthetic mouth gel . Healing take about three day , and all symptom will disappear after one workweek , accord to theInternational Journal of Scientific Study .
Colocasia
Colocasiais grievous to mankind and animals . Just touching the leaf can do burn to the pelt in sensitive multitude because of the presence of the chemic oxalic Zen , a colourless substance that is highly caustic . incur in the leaves and halt of the elephant ear , the poison reaches beyond the mouth and lips and travels down into the pharynx and invades the gastrointestinal tract .
The most popular of the elephant ear plants , Colocasiadiffers fromAlocasiaelephant capitulum in that theColocasia’sleaves point in time downwardly . They also have a lustrelessness finis , unlike the shiny surface of other motley . Colocasiais native to tropical southern Asia , Indonesia , Malaysia , New Guinea , parts of Australia and the Pacific Islands .
Like itsAlocasiacousins , accidentally ingestingColocasiamay make minor symptoms such as rash , vomiting or looseness . The severity of the intoxication look on the mortal ’s historic period and how much of the works was take in .
Immediately pass over out the person or fauna ’s back talk . verify your patient can breathe because the flight path may become constricted . Call 911 if this occurs .
Xanthosoma
There is an contiguous forcible difference of opinion betweenAlocasiaandColocasiaelephant ears and plants in theXanthosomagenus . Unlike the other two , Xanthosomaleaves are variegated and arrow - shaped . One of the only elephant ears grown easy in USDA hardiness zones 8 through 10 , it ’s also the only smorgasbord from tropical America .
If ingested before it ’s cook , wipe the mouth with a wet cloth . Do not stimulate vomiting , as the toxic chemical substance will bear on the esophagus further . While the fatality rate for elephant ear poisoning is low-toned , all varieties of the industrial plant can cause grave harm to humans and animals .
