I don't know what to think! The size of the first photo looks a little bizarre, like it was photo shopped. But then 'Boss Jim' grew some pretty large ones with lots of fertilizer and water. Bossy has grown some big ones too. What do you think?

Yea, there is a lot that is pictorially weird about that first photo. The guy has no arms. Is he behind the leaves , but there are no shadows . Even during overcast there is a darkening of areas.. The fact that the area of the hedge and the plant are so flattened makes me wonder. There is no hollowing of the hedge to allow for this plant..... PHOTO SHOPPED. You tagged it Ragna.

I grow that plant and it can get that big naturally. I doubt there is need for a giganticizing plan, ha. The pic looks photoshopped but the plant can get that huge w/water and sun.

You can get 3 bulbs from wellspring Gardens on eBay for $14 or the guy on CL 3x39. They also grow bigger w/time, like any other EE

B/c I was too lazy to separate mine, I bought a Plant from Brian’s Botanical $15 (?). It was the size of an 8” tomato plant. By aug it will be gigantic. Will post pics later.

I know that they can get big if they have water and rich dirt. He might have needed to "gigantisize it if he lived on a crappy hill country place. It does smell a tad clammy/scammy to me.

Bossy, can they take sun??

How about the last picture, where the lady is under the EE, like a palm tree? :D

Omar

Wow! Now I want one, but not if it’s going to eat my arms. I already had giant Pampas try to do that and the skin is just now growing back.

Omar, the pics seem legit to me. He might have photoshopped himself just to place him in the pic for scale. All the other pics look as ones I’ve taken myself. Except for last pic, it looks like alocasia portora or portodora or portadora (several spellings) , another GIANT, more upward growing.

That last photo is believable. They get that large. I think that picture was taken in a place that was rainy and the EE have naturalized.. That is how the Thai EE grow in Hawaii.. They get huge. The photo looks like it is in a large peice of land with the EE growing "wild". Their are several other plants in the background over grown in jungle bush. Her probably grabbed the photo off the net. It is probably not his backyard.

You won’t kill them in sun as long as more water but they’re so much more beautiful and stunning in shade, Bright shade, 4-5 hrs or less of sun.

Here is pic of portora

https://www.americanmeadows.com/flower-bulbs/elephant-ear/elephant-ear-portora

Thanks.

Eaten arms genre, ha!

If you didn’t know, Mara posted a pic of Brian of Brian’s Botanicals. He has hybridized a couple of significant cannas and other stuff, don’t follow that closely but enough to know he’s truly dedicated. I recently bought a variegated white canna from him, not arrived yet.

i have one in a northwest corner of my house it was planted last year does anyone know if you can plant them near live oaks? how near?? 1 have 36 live oaks 45 feet apart also i'm thinking they can't take much wind and almost my whole yard is windy

I didn't think they could get that big. Impressive, but not a plant for my garden. Not only because it would be a too big of a plant for my relatively small garden but also because of its need of shade and water.

Omar

Saw the Thai Giants also on the American Meadows site while seaching for 'Purple Dragon' last month. FWIW, lead comment was they had trouble with the dry north Texas heat.

Their are smaller allocasias that are beautiful and will grow in a pot. Water is still an issue....always an issue.

Yep, always water

They like a nice deep rich soil with unlimited water. That doubly counts me out.

BossJim gave me a Thai giant that I grew in one of my washing machine tubs for years. Of course, it had no chance of reaching it's potential in that pot. Since I have no deep soil in which to put it I gave it to Eric to plant by his pond.

It will be BEAUTIFUL and privileged to live in that garden.

@zippity, the wind will tear foliage as it does banana leaves. Doubt you’d like the look.

WOW. Thanks for the link to Eric’s garden. I’m drooling. What a treat! I’m going to link after link enjoying it all. :)

This is from one link re: Eric’s property. If EE are growing in the Environment they like, plenty of moisture, they are going to get huge. HST, not sure the one in pic is Thai giant but it’s gonna be giant alright!

what is plant In the middle of pic?

the Bismarckia is jaw dropping gorgeous!

my black EE planted in full sun doesnt really like its location so it stays small, Almost the size of caladiums. I let it be. If it liked its location, leaves could be 3x3’