The elephant ear (Haemanthus albiflos), which comes from South Africa, is not only an exotic but also a very rare houseplant. The fact that it is not so easy to buy makes propagating this flower quite interesting, especially since it is not difficult either.
How to propagate an elephant ear?
The elephant ear (Haemanthus albiflos) can be propagated by sowing, breeding bulbs or leaf cuttings. The simplest method is propagation through bulbs, while sowing is lengthy and leaf cuttings require more care.
Propagation by sowing
You can certainly grow elephant ears from seeds. This is particularly easy to do with seeds from specialist retailers (€4.00 on Amazon), because they can be sown straight away. You have to wait patiently for some time to receive seeds from your own plants. Pollination requires two plants that are close together. After about eight to twelve weeks, the seed capsules form and still need some time to mature.
Clean the seeds thoroughly of any adherent pulp so that they do not become moldy. As dark germinators, the seeds should be covered with soil; alternatively, they can also be germinated between two damp paper tissues. This takes approximately four weeks. To thrive, the seedlings need a lot of light and regular watering.
Propagation through onions
The easiest way to propagate is to plant bulbs. When you repot your elephant ear in spring, check to see if any small daughter bulbs have formed on the mother bulb. Carefully remove the small bulbs without damaging them or the mother bulb.
Don't repot the elephant ear specifically for propagation or just look for daughter bulbs out of curiosity, this isn't good for your elephant ear and it will grow more slowly. Plant the daughter bulbs individually in separate pots with lean substrate. Don't start watering until a few days later.
Propagation through leaf cuttings
Growing leaf cuttings is a little complicated for this otherwise easy-care plant because they rot easily if the substrate is too moist. Carefully cut a few strong leaves from your elephant ear and place them in pots with moderately moist soil.
The propagation of the elephant ear in brief:
- Sowing possible, but lengthy
- Propagation by breeding onions easy and effective
- Propagation by leaf cuttings requires a bit of care
Tip
If you want to achieve quick success or if you have little time for care, then opt for propagation by breeding onions.
