Cultivar · genus Colocasia

Black Magic

Colocasia esculenta · ‘Black Magic’

Variegation traitDark form

‘Black Magic’ — reference photo — AI illustration: Horta

Guide

Written and kept by people who grow it. Every section carries its source.

Moisture and feeding

Needs consistently moist soil; leaves wilt if it dries out, especially on newly planted corms. It likes high humidity and a rich, loose, well-draining mix. Feed monthly from early spring through mid-summer and stop in fall and winter.

Source: Epic Gardening

Leaves that darken with age

Black Magic carries large, heart-shaped leaves, up to 60 cm long, on purple-black stems. New leaves emerge green and deepen to a purple-black as they age. The page also notes the plant needs a minimum of 21 C to stay evergreen.

Source: RHS

Care recipe

Each fact carries its confidence tier — and says whether it belongs to this cultivar or is inherited from the species.

Care notes reviewed by Horta

Light: ai:claude-code
Humidity: ai:claude-code
Soil: ai:claude-code
Care: ai:claude-code

LightOwn

Bright, indirect

Waterfrom Colocasia esculenta

≈ every 7 days

HumidityOwn

High

Temperaturefrom Colocasia esculenta

18–30 °C

Soil mixOwn

rich, loose, well-draining mix high in organic matter that still holds moisture; extra compost or peat moss in containers

PropagationOwn

separate offsets from the main corm, dry cut ends, sprout in moist peat or vermiculite

FertilizingOwn

balanced fertilizer about monthly from early spring to mid-summer; none in fall and winter

Growth ratefrom Colocasia esculenta

Fast

Floweringfrom Colocasia esculenta

Rarely flowers indoors; grown for its large dramatic leaves

ToxicityLocked · species

Toxic to cats & dogs & humans

Araceae family — contains insoluble calcium oxalate crystals that irritate mouth and digestive tract if chewed. This is where toxicity lives: every cultivar inherits it and none can override it.

Reference images

Every image credited. Licenses link to their deeds.

Sources: ai:claude-code · ai:claude-opus-4-8 (family inference)

Kept true by its growers

Every fact here carries its source. Grow ‘Black Magic’ yourself? What you’ve observed — how it drinks, how it holds its color, a name that’s off — and a clear photo of your plant are exactly what keep this page honest. Contributions are reviewed before anything changes.