Dwarf Upright Elephant Ear

Englerarum montanum is a striking perennial from the Araceae family, growing up to 4 ft (1 m) tall. It features large, upright arrow-shaped or heart-shaped bright green leaves with prominent veins, resembling smaller elephant ears compared to relatives Alocasia odora and Colocasia esculenta. This fast-growing plant serves as both a striking ornamental for tropical/subtropical gardens and an air-purifying indoor specimen. Native to Southeast Asia, it thrives in warm, humid conditions with weekly new leaf growth in summer. While primarily decorative, its roots were historically used in native recipes despite containing toxic calcium oxalate crystals. As the sole species in its genus, it's notable for hybridizing with Alocasia odora to create Alocasia 'Calidora' (Persian palm).