Colocasia esculenta ‘Black Magic’
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It has been a few years since I ordered Colocasia esculenta ‘Black Magic,’ and so it puzzled me a little when I noticed a few dark purple leaves peeking out among a stand of Colocasia, ‘Pink China’ around our bog garden. Never one to quibble with gifts of nature, I said a silent ‘thank you!’ to the universe and let it be.
Its leaves were quite small, beneath the towering canopies of C. ‘Pink China,’ and they never particularly took off. What with my extended absences from the garden in late June and July, and the punishing drought of July and early August, it is a wonder this remnant survived at all.
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Our bog garden in July, with C. ‘Pink China’ backlit to show its beautiful color.
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But it did. And it stubbornly kept pushing up leaf after leaf, despite everything.
It was mid-August before I followed through on my determination to rescue this plant from its less than hospitable spot. It is the least I could do, considering that it has hung on through at least two winters and survived the crowding of our very rambunctious and energetic C. ‘Pink China’ growing all around it.
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After about 10 days in the pot, I was ready to move our little C. ‘Black Magic’ out into the sun of our perennial garden at the end of August.
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See what a little horticultural love can do? From a single leaf on a bit of rhizome and root, our C. ‘Black Magic’ has not only rapidly grown in its pot, it has already grown an offset! A second little plant has emerged inches away from the first.
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September 15, 2017, C. ‘Black Magic has already grown an offset.
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It is a genuinely magical experience to watch this little guy grow! At first, I set it in a shady spot for about 10 days to establish. Once I saw evidence of new growth, I knew it wanted sun, and moved it out to this choice spot where I would keep it well-watered. I expect to leave this Colocasia out in the garden until late October or early November.
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September 20
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Now that I know it is winter hardy here, we can decide whether to move it to a sheltered spot on our patio, or into the basement when nights grow cold.
I have been watching for new leaves to emerge around the bog garden, too. Surely, there are still a few of its roots in that bed. In fact, I dug two more tiny starts, each less than 3″ tall, earlier this week. I’ve potted them up and set them in shady, sheltered spots to grow on.
I like this beautiful, dark purple leaf, and C. ‘Black Magic’ is known for growing into a spectacularly large plant. Plant Delights Nursery, which offers this variety, reports that the plant will grow to 5′-6′ tall and wide when given rich, moist soil and plenty of sun. They also suggest that it can stand winter temperatures down to 0F when grown in a sunny spot, well-mulched through winter.
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This variety is known to spread quickly, as many Colocasias will, with lateral stems which run just above or just below the soil. New plants will spring up from the nodes, rooting into whatever soil is available; eventually forming a thick patch of plants.
I have to say that didn’t happen in the areas where I planted this variety originally. My guess is that the part of the garden where I first planted it was too dry for it to thrive. I moved an offset from the original plant down to the bog garden a couple of years ago, where it eventually survived.
C. ‘Black Magic’ may be grown with its pot submerged or in a wet, boggy spot in the garden. In fact, I’m growing C. ‘Mojito’ and C. ‘Tea Cups’ most successfully with their pots partially submerged. These are thirsty plants, needing a lot of water to hydrate their huge leaves on hot summer days.
But I’ve learned my lesson now, and will make sure to offer plenty of water from here on to keep these rescued plants growing strong!
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Colocasias love rich, moist soil. They will grow into a dramatic display when their needs are met. Allow plenty of space, as most cultivars will grow to 4′- 5′. From left: C. ‘Pink China’, C. ‘Tea Cups’, C. ‘Mojito’, C. ‘Pink China’
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C. ‘Black Magic’ was originally spotted growing in the Philippines. It was collected, grown on, and eventually introduced to the nursery trade. It is a dramatic plant; a touch of the tropics which will thrive in a more temperate garden if simply given a little consideration and care.
I’m happy to have another chance to get it right with this beautiful plant. Every season we learn a bit more, don’t we? That is one of the fabulous gifts gardening gives us, always another chance to grow our gardens well.
Woodland Gnome 2017
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September 22 … It is Fabulous how much this Colocasia has grown since we moved it to its pot about six weeks ago. (Why the plastic dish? The wet sand is there for the butterflies, who frequent this part of our garden.)
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Fabulous Friday:
Happiness is Contagious! Let’s infect one another!
Forest Garden 