Container Plant Experiment

In mid-June, I was given a tuber for an elephant ear plant, which I planted in a large pot.

I haven't done much container gardening in recent years - because I don't want to have to think about watering them...

But this plant, with elephant-ear sized leaves intrigued me.

I spread small stones around in the pot to prevent squirrels from digging up the pink tuber - which may be toxic to them.

You'll be surprised at how quickly - and how large it grows, our friend Joe said when he gave it to us.

An avid gardener, Joe has two next to his backyard pond.

Will ours grow as well as his? I wondered... as I watched and waited...

A few weeks later, one leaf emerged...

But some animal nibbled on it!

(Was it the large rat that Terry found dead on the sidewalk?!)

Online, plant toxicity website warns that elephant ear plants give indigestion to small animals, like cats and dogs. But they don't kill them...

A few new leaf shoots sprouted up, but they were quickly gnawed off by some animal.

One leaf is lying, still curled up, next to its stem, beside the brick. A second is lying on the ground next to the pot.

Time to move the plant to another location. It's not doing well on the grass...

A week after moving the plant onto higher ground - on our deck - it has several more leaves which are considerably taller than the old ones.

A week later... more large leaves!

I've never seen rabbits on the deck - so I assume they were the culprits who had been chewing on the plant. The deck would not be a deterrent to the agile little squirrels!