Various plants can be found under the name elephant ear, but only one of them is suitable as a houseplant. This is Haemanthus albiflos, which belongs to the amaryllis family. It is quite easy to care for, very decorative, but rare.
How do you properly care for an elephant ear?
Elephant ear care includes a warm and bright location without direct sun, loose substrate and regular watering from April to October. Overwinter at 12°C to 15°C. Add liquid fertilizer once a month.
Planting and repotting the elephant ear
The elephant ear can be repotted approximately every two to three years. It prefers a loose and permeable substrate. Place your elephant ear in a new pot, which should be just a little larger than the old planter and have a drainage hole.
Ideally, the diameter of the plant pot is approximately three centimeters larger than the root ball or bulb of your elephant ear. Before you plant the plant, be sure to create a drainage layer.
The right location for the elephant ear
The elephant ear, which comes from South Africa, likes it warm and bright, but cannot tolerate direct sunlight, frost or waterlogging. Therefore, it feels much more comfortable on a west or east window than on a south window. If the summer is warm, the elephant ear is welcome to stand outside in the shade. A heated greenhouse or winter garden is also a good place for the elephant ear.
Watering and fertilizing the elephant ear
From April to October you should water the elephant ear so that the substrate is always a little moist, but definitely not wet. Fertilization also makes sense during this time. Add a little liquid fertilizer (€6.00 on Amazon) to the irrigation water about once a month.
Wintering the elephant ear properly
In winter, the elephant ear requires almost no care at all, as it hibernates. It does not need to be fertilized and watered very rarely. If the plant has been on the balcony in the summer, it should move back into the apartment or winter garden in September at the latest. The ideal winter temperature for the elephant ear is 12 °C to 15 °C.
The most important things in brief:
- easy care
- onion plant
- perennial
- white flowers
- comes from South Africa
- Location: warm and bright
- cannot tolerate waterlogging or direct sunlight
- not hardy
- winteres best at temperatures of 12 °C to 15 °C
Tip
The elephant ear is a fairly rare houseplant, but very decorative and easy to care for.
