I just snapped this photo of one of the most fascinating summer-growing aroids in the garden. Englerarum is the Charlie Brown of the hardy elephant ear like aroids. It looks somewhat like an alocasia or colocasia, but after taking a DNA test in 2013, was kicked out of both genera, and left to its own devices as the sole member of a new genus, Englerarum. It doesn’t have any fancy colored foliage, but just makes a wonderfully durable, easy-to-grow garden specimen. The new genus is named for the renown German botanist/taxonomist, Adolf Engler (1844-1930), who is responsible for a number of taxonomic breakthroughs, many of which are still used today.
In the wild, Englerarum is native to forests from Southwest China to Southeast Thailand, where it grows as a lithophyte (lives on rocks) on karst limestone. We’ve tried it in these conditions, and it failed miserably. When we treat it more like a colocasia in regular garden soil, it thrives, producing 5′ tall leaves by late summer. We have a thing for odd, orphaned genera, but when we offered it in 2023, it was obvious the gardening public didn’t share our affection. Hardiness is Zone 7b-10b.
The specific epithet, “hypnosum” suggests there might be a story behind Mr Engler’s elephant ear.
Is the plant deer resistant
Most aroids have excellent deer resistance
Please change my email address to the one listed below
Hi Ann! If you are already subscribed to the blog with your business email, then please go ahead and unsubscribe using the old one and your contact information will be automatically updated. Thank you!
Thanks for letting me know