Jumbo elephant ears add a touch of the exotic 

A few weeks ago we discussed ‘Black Coral’—a huge black colocasia that forms a nice, tight clump. Here we have another jumbo elephant ear that makes a dramatic specimen—‘Black Sapphire Gecko’. These leaves are equally striking with a couple of notable differences.

‘Gecko’ leaves change in appearance as they reflect light

Breeder Brian Williams from Brian’s Botanicals named this variety for the reflective quality he noticed in the leaves. They have a satiny sheen that causes their appearance to change based on the way the light falls across their surface. Pretty cool—plus they have maroon undersides for added interest.

To take full advantage of these unique features, place the plant in full sun—you can expect it to reach about four feet tall. Another great spot for this tropical is in shallow water—it can be grown as an aquatic in the bog area of a pond.

‘Black Sapphire Gecko’ is available in the one-gallon pot.