[Colocasia Hybrids index]

Giants in the Garden

Jul 31st, 2012

Colocasia Nobal Gigante tm ppaf (Purple Giant) The first of its kind in the Gigantes TM series, this ginormous new hybrid has Colocasia gigantea in it's bloodlines. What does that mean? It means you can put this in the ground or in a large pot, and stand back. Noble Gigante will grow 6-8’ in a single growing season! Extremely large leaves are purple-blue in full sun and a softer purple in the shade. The veins start out light green and fade to a deep purple – what a performance! As the plant matures, each leaf grows to 2-3’ and are held horizontally. Purple spathe-like flowers emerge from the center. This is the perfect plant for the impatient gardener! Due to the size of its leaves, it is best to site it in protected areas away from strong winds with 4-8 hours of full sun.
Size: 6-8’ x 6-8’
USDA Hardiness Zones: 8-11
Sun/Shade: Part sun-prefers afternoon shade
Soil: Average garden soil – well-drained
Moisture: Moist, well-drained, but not soggy
Diseases and Pests: None known
Landscape Use: Tropical impact landscapes and large containers

Colocasia Noble Gigante ppaf Growth Habit

As a breeder I am extremely excited to release Colocasia Noble Gigante ppaf! My focus for this round of breeding was an elephant ear that was a huge colorful showstopper. These are the type of plants that I enjoy planting as center pieces in my tropical displays!

The first year I grew Colocasia Noble Gigante ppaf the leaves reached 2 to 3 1/2 feet long and 2 to 3 feet wide which made a dramatic statement in the garden. The entire plant was approximately 6 feet tall and 6 feet wide. If the plant is given good well drained soil and regular feeding 6 feet to 8 feet in height is easily accomplished with Colocasia Noble Gigante ppaf. In my experience Colocasia Gigantea does not take full all day sun while Colocasia Noble Gigante ppaf has shown to be much more tolerant and able to handle a bit more abuse. With that said, this plant performs best in full sun to part shade. Colocasia Noble Gigantes ppaf petioles/stems stay a dark purple in full sun or in shade, while its leaves will be a lighter slate blue in sun and a dark grape in shade.

The overall shape of the plant tends to be more like that of Colocasia gigantea Thailand giant with new leaves emerge vertically and as they age hold themselves horizontally. This plant will put most of its energy into producing large bold foliage and suckering is rarely seen even on larger plants.

Different colors in different situations

Shade - Purple leaves

Full Sun - Blue Leaves

New emerging leaves

Growing Colocasia Noble Gigante ppaf in a Container

For containers, I recommend growing Colocasia Noble Gigante ppaf as a center piece in a 3 gallon and up container. Depending on the placement of your container, the leaves will be slate blue in shade or grape purple in full sun. As with any container garden daily watering is key to growth along with some time release fertilizer. I also like to use Epson salt, around 1 teaspoon per gallon of water, every 3 to 4 weeks to toughen the leaves and stems. In the photo below is a plant only a few weeks from plug size grown in a 15 gallon pot.

If your a wholesale grower check out AG3 for all our new hybrids the the below link.

http://www.ag3inc.com/