Another Exotic Plant

Here is a photo of another plant we found close to a stream on our 5 mile walks. It is Colocasia esculenta, more commonly called taro, or in this variety, dasheen. Taro is considered an aggressive weed that has escaped garden/lawn cultivation into the wild. People grow it in the U.S. for the lush, large heart-shaped leaves. It has long been a staple native source of fiber and starch. They grind up the corms and make taro root powder. You can also roast or boil the corms directly but they can't be eaten raw because of bitter oxalic acid that is broken down by the cooking process. It's kind of a "good news/bad news" plant because it is a food source and beautiful but it does displace native plants in this country. I like it for its tropical atmosphere.