Those are beautiful! I bet you're very proud of them!

Beautiful! If only I had the shade!

wow! They're so pretty! Had no idea there were so many different kinds! I love that little ground cover one...nice how you have intermingled them, too.

Thanks for showing those pictures...I have been looking for a "new" addiction!

Those are great... it may be a good thing I have mostly sun! I think I do have one I've been trying to kill w/ too much sun. I've now moved it to the shade.

Thanks for sharing.

This would be a great one....it has been an addiction of mine for almost 10 years now. And now with hybridizing, there are all kinds of new ones out on the market.

Here's a picture of Alocasia Zebrina. I can't wait until this get large because the stems will be more visible then. This picture also shows another ground cover EE, Colocasia Fallax.

Alocasia Cuprea. Interesting, but hard to grow. I would love to know if there's someone who has discovered the secret for growing these. If I keep them in pots, I'm OK. They look so nice planted though.

Wow!!!

I love them. They were my first gardening love. I had a green and white garden in THIRD GRADE! My idea and my work. I had no idea there were so many variegated, esp monstera! Who knew?!

Question: The green and white _____(?) under the Aurora. How DO you get the white? I have one and I rarely get the white leaves and if I do they are no where near as prominent as yours. And where do you shop? I am blown away by your successes...

Thanks everyone...

Thonotorose
The white variegated ones under Aurora are my stash of ten babies for an upcoming trade here in Tampa. I'll include a picture of my mother plant. For this one as well as the yellow variegated one pictured above, you have to get a good variegated baby. If you see them for sale and they have mostly green, pass it by.

I shop everywhere, Ebay, online searches, Brian Williams has everything you could ever want in the Aroid world, Natural Selections Exotics, Plant Delights, Greenhouse Works, etc. I can send links if you need any. The best place of all, though, is the International Aroid show and sale in Miami every September. Vendors come from all over, including Ecuador and they have everything. Plus the show plants are awesome to see.

Here's my Mommy plant

I keep mine in a pot and bring it in every winter. The yellow is much more cold hardy than this one. Mine does also get dappled sun in the afternoon which may help the variegation as well.

Martina

Great photos. I grow some too. Do you have the one they call Micky Mouse. It is variegated with the leaves turned up to form a little cup. It holds water for the lizzards to drink. Let me know if you'd be interested in a trade. :o)

OMG I love EE's, too! It's not an addiction or anything, I swear, they just keep showing up in my garden. A few are from stores and half from swaps.I have yellow stem. pink stem, red stem, black stem, Reg green, curly green, dark leaf, triangle. yellow and green,hilo beauty, mickey...y'know maybe I need help? Intervention? And this doesn't even include the ones I've killed. At least I know my white and green was prob killed by cold this winter. Pooh.

Oh, wow, wow, wow, is all I can say. Martina, you sure do have a beautiful collection. I am truly partial to foliage, so this is candy for my eyes. Do you grow these in the ground in zone 9b? Which ones come back well for you after winter temps? I love the way you have combined them. The complementary color combinations, and the contrast in size, shape, etc. Thank-you so much for sharing! Please continue to show us your plants as they perform for you.

Anna

WOW...beautiful
I cannot wait for our trade! Thank you for such a great opportunity :)
Olya

Absolutely beautiful! I especially love Limeaide and the white variegated one in the last picture. Just gorgeous! When I get my tropical bed dug (after we get the HUMONGOUS PILE OF WOOD left from Hurricane Charley moved to a wood rack), I think I will try a few more of them. I have some Black Magic (or is it Black Knight?), but they have never gotten very tall for me. I'd like more kinds, especially the variegateds, as they look so nice in shady areas.

Thanks for sharing your wonderful collection!

Marcia

Katkin...I do have Mickey Mouse. I love the leaves on this one, so unusual.

I am very much a foliage person. I had a huge collection of calatheas at one time as well. They were the understory plants to my EE's. 2 kids later and I am now finally getting to do more with my garden. Luckily EE's are hardier than calatheas.

Cofeemom....don't give up on your white variegated one yet. It might still show up. I keep trying not to buy anymore. Really, I stand outside and ask myself what I'm doing this for....think of the money spent....all the work and I can't stop myself. Trust me, I've killed plenty as well. Like this one....

If anyone has a Purple Prince to trade, I need another
one :(

Anna....there's alot of digging and potting in wintertime here. There are only a small few that can actually stay out in winter....the yellow variegated is one, Colocasia Fontanesii, my Xanthosomas (except for Mickey Mouse)and Macrorrhizas....that's about it. If I do leave them out, they get covered and I can usually get them through. Alocasia Zebrina did OK outside all winter as well with cover. The black ground cover one goes dormant withCaladiums, same timing. The white ground cover EE, is hardy through winter.

Thanks Olya.....I'll bring extras of all of the EE's I have.

Marcia, I have the same issues with Black Magic. I look at other gardener's pictures and drool at the large size they attained. This year, the key I have found is water, daily, and lots of it. Mine have been doing better this year, it seems.

Thanks

Truly amazing, absolutely beautiful! I don't know what else to say....

The only shade I have available now is due to bamboo I've planted on the west side of my house. Last year I planted ferns on the east side of the bamboo in the shade, they're doing okay but not spectacular...I wonder if the roots or decaying leaves are toxic to other plants? I'd sure like to try some more EE's, especially that wild looking Zebrina. The only EE I have over there right now is in a pot, dark green leaf top, wine colored bottom side...supposed to be from Borneo. What do you think my chances of being successful with EEs are?

Tom

ooooooooooo I like!

Martina - beautiful, beautiful plants!!! Wow! Just gorgeous!

Let me know if you still want that Sky Vine, etc. I still have them if you are still interested.

Tom.

You probably would have success with Zebrina. It actually can tolerate some sun, possibly full sun. The difference is, and the reason I grow my uprights in shade, is that in full sun, the leaves will stand straight up. It's not a look that I particularly like. In shade the leaves stay down. I included a link for a full size Zebrina in sun. It looks pretty cool in this picture.

Martina

Here is a link that might be useful: Alocasia Zebrina

Ok, now you've done it, I have a new addition! ;o) But I have some questions. I guess some of these go decidous and some last the winter? At least that is what I noticed with the few I have. Also I noticed you have most/all in pots, I have mine in the ground. Is that just for frost protection? Or do you have another reason? Like nematodes or something I am not aware?

Hi Martina,

Sorry this post is so late but when Photobucket got hacked by those Turkish hackers I avoided sending any pics for a few days to make sure Photobucket had a chance to clean things up. I've definitely got to do some more EEs. Since I'm not sure if the bamboo roots are toxic or just won't allow good root growth I think I'm going to grow them in pots too. Here's a few pictures of my "Borneo" EE. Do you have one? I need to split it out to 4-5 plant so if you or anyone else wants one drop me a line.

Tom

Aroidgardener, What would you take for a cutting of your variegated monstera?

Nothing says "you're in the tropics" as well as EE's

Tomcath, I sent you an email about a trade through GW since your address isn't posted I hope you get it. :o)

I love them too. I only have a few kinds, and none of the variegated ones. In fact, I just go a black leaved one from a friend, but I don't know which one it is. It's still a baby, so I'll send a photo when it gets bigger and gets it's full color.

I even love the plain old fashioned ones, but seeing your photos, I'm thinking I'd love to get some of the specialty ones.

Martina, they are stunning EEs. Especially the variegated ones. How I wish I had more shade!!

Tom-is that what happened to Photobucket?? I have some old photos posted there and everything is teensy! Should I avoid using the site. I use only Picasa now, but have some older stuff stored on PB.

Katkin - I got your email, just worked in the yard all day yesterday since it rained all day Saturday...I'll respond tonight after work.

Cindee - PB seems to be clean now. The hackers were hijacking and redirecting links, per a discussion over on the Tomato forum...warnings that were coming from GW and going to the GW individuals that had been violated.

Martina,

Thank you very much for the information about looking for the variegated ones that have a LOT of the white. I shall do that.

May I also suggest that you donate some of the nameless one I am drooling over, (Mama plant in second group of pics you posted.) along with some of that variegated monstera to USF Botanical Gardens. I think that if you talk to the director and tell her what you told us about picking the babies with the most variegation and show her your pics of Mama, that she will be delighted to accept them. Or, perhaps, point you to the people that would.

Veronica

Hi Tom,

Thanks for the picture. I like seeing pictures of other EE's and that's a nice one. From what I know, it's Alocasia Wentii. My Borneo Giant is still small, but is all green. Wentii is one of my favorites because of the maroon underleaf.

Veronica,
I was planning on donating whatever plants I have left, to USF botanical garden, after the trade we have set up there on 7/5/08. I donated yellow variegated EE's one time. There's someone different running the place now, so will see what she says. They accept donations to sell, so they will only take sellable plants....which makes sense in that case. I was hoping they would plant one in the gardens, but I never saw any.

I bought the Variegated monstera at USF Botanical Gardens.
They get them in every once in awhile and sell them for $15.00. There is someone in Tampa with a large Aroid collection and they donate to the garden.

Martina

Wow, Martina, those EE's are amazing. I love the tropical feel of them and all the shades of green. I had no idea there were so many kinds. Now I have another idea for what to do with all my shade.

Tom, I like the boardwalk by your EE's and the contrast of underside of them.

Some more EE's took pictures of after the rain this weekend.

Colocasia Pink China

Variegated Xanthosoma Sagittofolia

Alocasia Reysii

Alocasia Zebrina reticulata (markings on leaves will get more pronounced as it gets larger)

One of my favorite anthuriums

Aroid, where did you get the zebrina reticular, I would really like that one for myself. And the little ground cover ones as well.

Katkin,

The only person that I know of that has all 3 of these for sale is Brian Williams. His site is at http://www.briansbotanicals.net/catalog/index.php?cPath=28&osCsid=34445e8a4c58023a70bf2a60771b0dec

He lists Alocasia Zebrina Reticulata as Tigrina Reticulata.

Thanks,
Martina