Species · genus Xanthosoma · Araceae
Purplestem Taro
Xanthosoma violaceum Schott
Also known as: Black Malanga · Blue Ape · Blue-taro · Primrose Malanga · Yautia
Cultivars of X. violaceum
The named forms growers keep — each with its own page, each honest about how much we know.
No named cultivars catalogued under X. violaceum yet. When growers document a stable, named form, it earns its own page here.
Guide
The species-level account. Cultivar pages build on this and say where they differ.
Xanthosoma violaceum is a large-leaved aroid from the Araceae family, growing as a robust subshrub with thick, water-storing stems and broad foliage suited to warm, humid conditions and bright but filtered light. Let the top inch or two of mix dry before watering, and avoid leaving the roots sitting wet, as the fleshy tissues are prone to rot. Provide a free-draining mix and steady warmth.
Care recipe
The species record — the baseline every cultivar inherits unless it says otherwise.
Care notes are early — not yet verified
- Light
- ai:claude-opus-4-8
- Water
- ai:claude-opus-4-8 (range 7-14d)
- Humidity
- ai:claude-opus-4-8
- Soil
- ai:claude-fable-5
- Care
- ai:claude-fable-5
Bright, indirect
≈ every 14 days
High
16–30 °C
Rich, moisture-retentive aroid mix that drains freely
Division of tubers or offsets
Balanced monthly feed during active growth
Fast
Rarely flowers indoors; grown for violet-tinged leaves and stems
Toxic to cats & dogs & humans
Araceae contain insoluble calcium oxalate crystals that irritate the mouth, throat, and digestive tract if chewed or ingested. This is where toxicity lives: every cultivar of this species inherits it and none can override it.
Reference images
Every image credited. Licenses link to their deeds.
No reference gallery yet
A few clear photos — habit, a mature leaf, a flower if it blooms — would give this page its eyes.
Add imagesSources: ai:claude-opus-4-8 · ai:claude-opus-4-8 (range 7-14d) · ai:claude-fable-5 · ai:claude-opus-4-8 (family inference)
Kept true by its growers
Every fact here carries its source. Grow Purplestem Taro yourself? What you’ve observed — how it drinks, how it holds its color, a name that’s off — is exactly what keeps this page honest. Contributions are reviewed before anything changes.
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