Native Plants
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Friday - March 27, 2015
From: Port Charlotte, FL
Region: Southeast
Topic: Plant Identification, Vines
Title: Identification of ivy-like plant with large purplish leaves.
Answered by: Nan Hampton
QUESTION:
Can you ID this ivy-like growing plant with a big purplish elephant ear type leaf and a big green stem pouch?ANSWER:
This doesn't sound like any North American native (our focus and area of expertise) that I can think of, but I will see what I can find. Here is one suggestion:
Colocasia esculenta ('Black Leaf' Taro) is native to Southeastern Asia. Here is a photo and information from Floridata. This isn't, however, a vine.
You can also look through the photos of plants with purple leaves on GardenPhotos.com.
Your best bet for identifying your plant is to take photos of it and then visit our Plant Identification page to find links to several plant identification forums that accept photos of plants for identification. Please be sure to read at the end of the page the "Important Notes..." about submitting photographs.
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