Plant Profile: Giant Swamp Taro (Cyrtosperma merkusii)

A cultivated form of C. merkusii growing underneath a waterfall at Singapore Botanic Gardens. Introduction Cyrtosperma merkusii is a very large aroid thought to be native to Malesia, occurring in forest streams and freshwater swamps. It seems to be the only species of Cyrtosperma to naturally occur outside of west Melanesia. It is arguably one …

Plant Progress: Giant Swamp Taro (Cyrtosperma merkusii)

I had a bit of a surprise this morning when I noticed that my smallest swamp taro plant has produced a new leaf! Any plant addict will know the addictive rush of realising that you can actually keep something alive and that it isn't dying. The giant swamp taro, or Cyrtosperma merkusii, is a colossus …

Plant Profile: Cyrtosperma johnstonii

Introduction & Origins Cyrtosperma johnstonii is a tropical plant native to the Solomon Islands in Oceania. Similar to its huge siblings C. merkusii and C. giganteum, it also has large, starchy rhizomes and gigantic leaves. This plant is grown across Southeast Asia as an ornamental, and despite its popularity, not too much is known about …