What's this plant?: Is this Taro?

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youngman Beverly Hills, CA August 26, 2008 7:27 PM	They are poping up everywhere like bamboos. Can you find those three tiny ones right next to it? ;) This message was edited Aug 26, 2008 3:28 PM View Larger
DanceyTx Midway, TX (Zone 8b) August 26, 2008 7:46 PM	check out this link. It shows all different kinds of Aroids. Lin [HYPERLINK@davesgarden.com]
Metrosideros Keaau, HI August 26, 2008 8:00 PM	The plant looks like a Colocasia, but it does not look Hawaiian Taro or Japanese Dasheen.
tigerlily123 Raleigh, NC (Zone 7b) August 27, 2008 6:36 AM	Actually Hawaiian taro is Colocasia esculenta-there are many varieties that Hawaiians use to make poi. It is grown very similiar to rice paddies, and then there is dryland taro that has a red dot on the leaf at the base of the midrib. That looks like C. esculenta in the picture-most common of the Colocasias
Metrosideros Keaau, HI August 27, 2008 1:47 PM	Hawaiian Taro / Kalo is Colocasia esculenta var. esculenta. There are over 300 known cultivars. There two types of Hawaiian Taro: The poi type which is steamed and then ground into poi. The mana type which has a denser corm when cooked, and is sliced and served without being ground to a paste (poi). Hawaiian Taro is grown both in ponds or lo'i, and dryland or malo'o. Asian Taro is Colocasia esculenta var. antiquorum. There are many cultivars as well. The dryland taro with the red dot in the middle (piko) discussed above is probably Chinese Bun-Long-Wu. Is is commonly grown here for leaves to make Hawaiian Lau-Lau. It's corms cook quickly, and are placed into recipes such as taro salad, and it is the taro used to make taro chips. The above picture is an Asian type.
tigerlily123 Raleigh, NC (Zone 7b) August 27, 2008 3:21 PM	Metro-have you ever eaten the dryland taro? Its really good-I used to cook it/treat it like a baked potato, only its better, more nuttier tasting. Even though I grew wetland taro for Auntie Vickie for a few years in exchange for rent, I never would eat poi-not my thing! She sold it to some factory in kahului if I remember correctly.
Metrosideros Keaau, HI August 27, 2008 3:34 PM	Yes Tigerlily, I grow several kinds of taro, both Hawaiian and Asian. The kind you're calling "dryland taro" is 'Bun-Long-Wu', grown commonly on farms along the Hamakua Coast. It is good eating and cooks easily as it contains less calcium oxalate than Hawaiian taro. It is a vigorous grower. The taro you grew for "Auntie Vickie" was probably 'Lehua', which is a common variety used to make commercial poi. Aloha, Dave
tigerlily123 Raleigh, NC (Zone 7b) August 27, 2008 5:15 PM	I never knew the variety-but will take your word for it! :) This was in a valley on West Maui, but I did live in Opihikao for a few years when we moved from Maui. Used to go thru Keaau all the time to go to Hilo. I bet Keaau has gotten larger since the 80's? How long have you lived there? I miss the breadfruit too. There was a grove behind my house up in the valley and when the breadfruit was ripe and on the ground, the wild pigs would come thru and wake you up at night (as well as destroying the vege garden). They are much a pest there as deer are here.

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