# Taro (*colocasia esculenta*) Taro is a big leafy plant that grows in warm, wet places. Its large, heart-shaped leaves are fun to touch and look at! - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 3 - **Habitat:** Taro grows in marshy areas and tropical regions around the world. - **Also known as:** Chinese potato, taro root ![Taro](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/%28MHNT%29_Colocasia_esculenta_-_Les_Martels%252C_Giroussens_Tarn.jpg&width=800) Photo: Didier Descouens, CC BY-SA 4.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:%28MHNT%29_Colocasia_esculenta_-_Les_Martels%252C_Giroussens_Tarn.jpg) ## Appearance The Taro has enormous, heart-shaped to sagitate leaves, often a striking green with prominent veins, and sometimes purple or dark red stems. Its velvety, water-repellent foliage gives it a unique appearance, distinct from other large-leaved plants. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Liliopsida - **Order:** Alismatales - **Family:** Araceae - **Genus:** Colocasia ## Interesting facts - In Hawaii, a traditional dish called poi is made from mashed taro corms. - Some taro varieties have strikingly beautiful purple or pink flesh inside! - Taro is one of the oldest cultivated plants, grown for thousands of years! - Taro roots are packed with energy, like a super-starchy vegetable. ## Special abilities - **Water Shield:** Taro has special waxy leaves that make water bead up and roll off, keeping them dry and clean. - **Underground Food Storage:** Taro can grow large edible corms underground to store energy and nutrients, helping it survive and regrow. - **Self-Defense Crystals:** Taro has tiny calcium oxalate crystals in its raw parts that cause an itchy irritation, deterring hungry animals. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 60-200 cm - **Spread:** 50-150 cm - **Flower Size:** 10-30 cm - **Bloom Season:** Summer - **Edible:** Yes - **Toxicity:** Moderate - **Lifecycle:** Perennial - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Eats:** taro planthopper (*Tarophagus colocasiae*) — Feeds on the sap from taro leaves and stems. - **Eats:** taro hornworm (*Hippotion celerio*) — Larvae consume taro leaves, sometimes causing defoliation. - **Eaten by:** [black rat](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-rat) (*Rattus rattus*) — Rats can damage and eat the starchy underground corms. - **Pollinates:** European honey bee (*Apis mellifera*) — Bees may visit taro flowers to collect nectar and pollen. ## Traits - [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring. - [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors. - [Herbivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/herbivorous): This trait characterizes organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of plant material. - [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life. - [Aquatic](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/aquatic): Aquatic habitats encompass environments where organisms live predominantly in water, including oceans, rivers, lakes, and wetlands. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always wash your hands after touching plants. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Taro? Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How tall is Taro? 60-200 cm ### How wide does Taro spread? 50-150 cm ### How big are the flowers on Taro? 10-30 cm ### When does Taro bloom? Summer ### Is Taro edible? Yes ### Is Taro toxic? Moderate ### What is Taro's lifecycle? Perennial ## Where to spot - [Lyon Arboretum](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/lyon-arboretum) — Hawaii, US · Botanical Garden - [Techwood Homes](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/techwood-homes) — Georgia, US · Historic District - [Ho'omaluhia Botanical Garden](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/hoomaluhia-botanical-garden) — Hawaii, US · Botanical Garden - [Castle Clinton](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/castle-clinton) — US · Aquarium - [Overbrook Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/overbrook-park) — Florida, US · Park [View all places to see Taro](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/taro) ## More Plants - [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*) - [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*) - [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*) - [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*) --- Source: [Taro: Characteristics, Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/taro)