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Water Taro

Colocasia esculenta

Non-Native

Water Taro Locations in North America
Water Taro Locations in Southeast US
water taro diagram

water taro side view

USDA, NRCS. 2018. The PLANTS Database (http://plants.usda.gov, 28 March 2018). National Plant Data Team, Greensboro, NC 27401-4901 USA.
Illustration courtesy of University of Florida/IFAS Center for Aquatic and Invasive Plants. Used with permission.

What is Water Taro?

Physical Characteristics

Leaves:

  • Large, up to 6 feet long
  • Leaf stalks attached a few inches away from the base of the leaf
  • Dark green in color
  • Arrow shaped
  • Long leaf stalks

 Seeds:

  • Bulb-like
  • Leaf stalks grow directly from seeds

Stem:

  • Rhizomes
  • Up to 4 feet tall

Where Does it Grow?

Non-Native

Water taro is native to Africa and can be found in swamps and along the banks of streams.

Pros and Cons of Water Taro

Many people in Central and South America use the tubers of water taro for food. This plant is non-native to the United States, and tends to disrupt the ecosystem by pushing the native species out of their habitat.

This plant is not native to North America, but has naturalized in much of the United States. While it is not illegal to possess this plant in Texas, it should not be introduced into new water bodies and should be treated with herbicide when present.

How to Manage This Plant
Plant Glossary

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Photo Credits: The majority of the aquatic plant line drawings are the copyright of the University of Florida Center for Aquatic Plants (Gainsville). They are used with permission.

Aquatic plant photographs were provided by David Bayne, Jim Davis, Kelly Duffie, Billy Higginbotham, Michael Masser, John Clayton, Chetta Owens, Diane Smith, Joe Snow, Don Steinbach, Bridget Robinson Lassiter and Peter Woods.

You may use these photos, so long as you give credit to AquaPlant.

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