Bought 3 colocasia at Lowes tonight . . .

9 years ago

I purchased a packaged bulb of White Lava, Black Magic, and Mojito for $6.98 each. I know I may have been able to buy a 3 gallon pot of them later in the summer, but with my luck, if I skipped buying them now, I wouldn't be able to find them at all later. They are packaged by a company called Van Zyverden. I have grown Black Magic and Illustris in the past, but although they returned for a couple of years, they were smaller each year and finally just didn't come up. I don't think I watered them enough when I had them before, but hopefully I will be able to grow these. I can grow the regular giant elephant ears and the upright green elephant ears, but I have found they need a LOT of water. Just thought I would share in case anyone else wants to check out their local Lowes. My HD didn't have any colocasia bulbs.

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Comments (7)

tropicbreezent
9 years ago
They're tubers rather than bulbs. You'll find that bulbs are layered, like onions. These are cultivars of Colocasia esculenta which grow as bog plants so need lots of water. You can stand the pots in water and they grow well. If not grown as bog plants they need to be kept wet otherwise they do fade away.
linnea56 (zone 5b Chicago)
9 years ago
Do other Lowes normally carry these? I am in Zone 5. I have not been to a Lowes (none near by) but would plan a trip if I could find those varieties. So far I have only seen Mojito in mailorder / online. Thanks
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Z Man
9 years ago
Actually Colocasia esculenta is a corm. Yes they do need a lot of water.
raestr (z8 Central Ala)
Original Author
9 years ago
I've never shopped at a Lowes in a different state, so I can't answer your question. I saw Black Magic at a local Walmart, but it was mushy inside the bag. I gave it to a sales person and told them it had rotted. I hope they didn't put it back out, but I don't know. If you buy one in the bag from a store, make sure you feel the bulb to make sure it is firm.
linnea56 (zone 5b Chicago)
9 years ago
Thanks. I was hoping someone who knew might chime in :)

Black Magic is the only one I see at common stores. Saw them at Home Depot a few days ago. But I have tried that one 3 times, and never got more than 2 leaves; so am not inclined to persist. Though I was growing it in a pot; maybe it is better in the ground. I don't know enough about these plants to tell if there is a huge difference planted in the ground.
claire c
9 years ago
Brian's Botanicals has a great selection tho shipping is a bit pricey
raestr (z8 Central Ala)
Original Author
9 years ago
Just thought I would post an update on the 3 colocasia I purchased at Lowe's. The Black Magic and Mojito are growing great (multiple eyes on each) and are the correct plants. The White Lava never came up, so this past weekend (Easter weekend), I dug it up and discovered it was rotten. I took it back to Lowe's and received a refund without any problem. Luckily, I had kept the original packaging and receipt. Just an FYI, I did feel all around the bulbs as best I could before I purchased them. I made sure they were all firm and I tried to get the largest bulbs of each variety. I have no idea why the White Lava failed.