Giant elephant ear
Leucocasia gigantea (Blume) Schott
Giant elephant ear (Leucocasia gigantea) is a tall arum-family plant 1.5–3 m high with huge peltate leaves; its crisp leaf stalks are cooked in Vietnamese canh chua and bún bò Huế; the sap contains irritating calcium oxalate and must be cooked.
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Gallery
Giant elephant ear — plant (Brookside Gardens)Giant elephant ear — whole plant
Giant elephant ear — clump (Vietnam)
Giant elephant ear — leaf detail
Giant elephant ear — inflorescence (spathe and spadix)
Giant elephant ear — cultivated plant (Kew)Giant elephant ear — plant (Brookside Gardens)Giant elephant ear — whole plantOverview
Giant elephant ear (Leucocasia gigantea), also called Indian taro, is a large herb of the arum family (Araceae), genus Leucocasia, 1.5–3 m tall, growing from a large, fibrous **corm**. The leaves are very large and peltate (shield-shaped), up to about 1.5 m long, with entire margins and thick, long, crisp stalks. The inflorescence is typical of the arum family: a **spathe** enclosing a **spadix** densely set with tiny flowers and faintly scented; the fruit is a berry that turns red as it ripens. The sap contains many needle-like **calcium oxalate** crystals (raphides) and is therefore acrid and irritating when raw.
Updated by lebachungtdh@gmail.com · 10/12/2026
Giant elephant ear is native to tropical Asia (mainland Southeast Asia, southern China and parts of India) and grows in damp, shaded places or is cultivated. Its crisp leaf stalks are a well-known vegetable in Vietnam, used in sour soup (canh chua) and the noodle soup bún bò Huế, and in Thailand in the curry kaeng tun. Because it contains irritating calcium oxalate, it must be thoroughly cooked. It is also grown as an ornamental, with huge-leaved cultivars such as 'Thailand Giant'. It has not been assessed by the IUCN and is therefore listed as Not Evaluated (NE).
Updated by lebachungtdh@gmail.com · 10/12/2026
Life cycle
From seed to productCorm & shoots
The plant perennates by a large, fibrous corm underground; from the corm grow shoots bearing huge stalks and leaves.
Leaves
Very large peltate leaves up to about 1.5 m long on long, thick stalks; together they form a big leafy canopy.
Flowering
When mature the plant flowers: a spathe encloses a spadix densely set with tiny, faintly scented flowers.
Fruit & harvest
The berries turn red when ripe; in cultivation the young leaf stalks and the corm are harvested for food.
Distribution & origin
Share of recorded occurrences by region- Mainland Southeast Asia (native) — Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Myanmar35%
- Southern China (native)20%
- India & South Asia (native/cultivated)15%
- Insular Southeast Asia & main cultivation areas15%
- Elsewhere (introduced/ornamental)15%
Chemical composition
Relative content in agarwood resin- Water & mucilageWatery leaf stalks22%
- Starch & polysaccharidesStored in corm and stalks24%
- Calcium oxalate (raphides)Acrid/irritant when raw18%
- Proteins & amino acidsModest content12%
- Minerals (K, Ca, Mg)Especially rich in potassium14%
- Vitamins & other constituentsVitamin C, B-group...10%
Uses
- Food in Vietnam: the peeled, sliced leaf stalks (dọc mùng) are cooked in sour soup (canh chua), bún bò Huế and bamboo-shoot soups, or stir-fried; crisp with a mildly tart taste.
- Food elsewhere: in Thailand it is cooked in the curry kaeng tun; in India it is known as 'Indian taro' and used like taro.
- Agriculture & cultivation: grown in moist, humus-rich, near-water sites for its leaf stalks and corm.
- Ornamental: the huge leaves give a tropical accent; the cultivar 'Thailand Giant' is grown in parks and gardens.
- Safety warning: the raw sap contains calcium oxalate that irritates and burns the mouth — cook thoroughly; wear gloves when peeling if skin is sensitive.
Properties
- Form
- Large cormous herb 1.5–3 m tall; huge peltate leaves on thick stalks
- Hallmark
- Huge peltate leaves; the arum-family spathe-and-spadix inflorescence; crisp edible leaf stalks
- Nutrition
- Leaf stalks provide starch, fibre, potassium and some vitamins; watery and low in energy
- Toxicity & caution
- Sap has calcium oxalate: do not eat raw; cook thoroughly; take care with sensitive people
Habitat & conservation
Giant elephant ear likes moist, humus-rich soil and light shade; it grows by streams, ponds and ditches, in the understorey of damp forest, or is cultivated in the tropics. It is native to mainland Southeast Asia, southern China and parts of India and is widely grown for its edible leaf stalks and as an ornamental.
Conservation
Giant elephant ear is widespread in tropical Asia and widely cultivated; it has not been assessed by the IUCN and is therefore listed as Not Evaluated (NE). Family Araceae, genus Leucocasia. Value: edible leaf stalks and ornamental use; its sap contains calcium oxalate so it must be cooked.
References
- 1POWO — Leucocasia gigantea (Blume) Schott — Plants of the World Online (Kew), 2026
- 2GBIF Backbone Taxonomy — Leucocasia gigantea (Blume) Schott — GBIF, 2026
- 3Wikipedia EN — Leucocasia gigantea (giant elephant ear) — Wikipedia EN, 2026
- 4Wikipedia VI — Dọc mùng — Wikipedia VI, 2026
- 5Wikipedia ZH — 大野芋 — Wikipedia ZH, 2026
- 6Ảnh: Qon Kua (CC BY-SA 4.0); Hải Vũ Thanh (CC BY-SA 4.0); David J. Stang (CC BY-SA 4.0) — Wikimedia Commons, 2026
- 7Ảnh: Flocci Nivis (CC BY 4.0); Kew Gardens 2026 (CC BY 4.0) — Wikimedia Commons, 2026