Native Habitat

• Elephant ear is native to Central and South America, while taro is native to Africa. They have both spread around the world and are considered invasive in many areas.
  
  

Environment

• Both plants thrive in wet, swampy areas, but taro is more widespread than elephant ear.
  
  

Leaves

• Taro's leaves are a darker green than the leaves of elephant ear.
  
  

Size

• Elephant ear can grow to be much taller than wild taro. While elephant ear can reach 9 feet, taro stays under 4 feet.
  
  

Physical Difference

• According to the Florida Invasive Plant Initiative, the way to tell the two plants apart by their appearance is the way the leaf is attached to the petiolev---the stalk that attaches leaf to stem. In elephant ears, the petiole attaches to the leaf directly at its base. In wild taro, it attaches a few inches from the base of the leaf.