Variegated ears

Right around the time ears of corn are best here, the elephant ears really come into their own. I have them all over the property—mainly the Black Magic and Illustris, but also these two variegated types, one from Plant Delights (Nancy’s Revenge, close-up and larger view above) and one from Brent and Becky’s, (Yellow Splash, below).


These are slower to get going than the reliable Illustris, which fills a container (below) in no time, but patience is beginning to be rewarded. We’ve had tons of wet weather, too, which is OK, but they do like some sun and especially heat to develop their unusual striations. There’s still plenty of time; I look forward to enjoying these—and seeing more dramatic marking—later and through most of October.


This is where variegation makes a lot of sense. I don’t really need a variegated columbine (don’t the leaf miners do that job anyway?) but an ear is a big leaf, when all’s said and done and it’d be pretty boring if they were all one color.