Colocasia ‘Bikini Tini’ on 5-26-12, #94-7.
Colocasia ‘Bikini Tini’
Colocasia ‘Bikini Tini’ is a 2011 introduction from Brian’s Botanicals. It has been bred for better cold hardiness and more coloration. Brian says it has overwintered in USDA zone 6 for three years, and that was in 2011. Similar to the well know Colocasia ‘Tea Cups’ which I first grew in 2009 and again in 2012. It has cup-shaped dark green leaves, black petioles, and dark veining under the leaves. He said he thinks the plant is a polyploid because the leaves are thick and it is completely sterile. Colocasia ‘Tini Bikini’ grows to a height of 5-7 feet in ideal conditions. Brian recommends you grow them in full sun to part shade in well-drained soil. Just remember, it is a Colocasia so it LOVES water.
I bought mine from Wellspring Gardens as a starter plant in the spring of 2012. I wanted to see how it compared to Colocasia ‘Tea Cups’.
Plant Delights says their specimen has formed a 4 1/2’ tall x 3’ wide clump, better than either Colocasia ‘Coffee Cups’ or ‘Big Dipper’.
USEFUL INFORMATION:
FAMILY: Araceae
ZONES: USDA 7b-10b (reports of it being hardy in Zone 6 with protection)
LIGHT: Sun to part shade
WATER: Prefers its soil to be consistently moist.
I didn’t bring this plant with me when I moved back to mid-Missouri in February 2013 but it is on my wish list. I think it didn’t impress me that much the first time around because I bought it as a starter plant.
Some websites are saying Colocasia ‘Bikini Tini’ is a Colocasia esculenta, but I don’t buy it… It has dark petioles and dark green leaves like the Colocasia fontanesii.
I am no aroid expert and I only grew this plant as a companion for one season. I liked its dark stems and dark green leaves and had no problems with it at all. As with many Colocasia you buy as small plants, it can take some time for them to reach a dramatic size. So, if you buy smaller plants and they don’t get 6-8’ tall by the end of the summer, just be patient. They have rhizomes that you can store for the winter and they will make larger plants the next season. Unless you live in a zone they can stay out all winter… Just make sure the rhizomes don’t remain to wet over a cool winter outdoors.
You also need to make sure you have your Colocasia growing in an area they like and will do well. Otherwise, your plants will not grow well and attain any size. When I lived in Mississippi, the Colocasia esculenta grew HUGE. Now, in mid-Missouri, I only have room for two that can grow HUGE and the rest remain small because of where I have to grow them.
Keep in mind Colocasia grow new rhizomes each season on top of the old one. If they aren’t growing where they will thrive, their rhizomes will actually get smaller.
I hope you enjoyed this page and maybe found it useful. If you have any comments, questions or suggestions, I would like to hear from you. Please click on “like” if you visited this page. It helps us bloggers stay motivated. 🙂 You can check out the links below for further reading. The links take you directly to the genus and species of this plant. If you notice I made an error, please let me know.
The Belmont Rooster 