Coffee Cups Elephant's Ear

Island Giants® Coffee Cups is a clump-forming elephant ear selected for olive-green leaves that cup upward and catch rainwater. The rounded foliage and dark stems bring an unusual tropical accent to a large container, pondside bed, or warm-season border. ## Foliage and placement The [Proven Winners profile](https://www.provenwinners.com/p/9083) lists a mature height of 3–5 feet and a spread of 2½–4 feet, with part-sun to full-sun exposure. Its cupped leaves may fill with rain and tip as they become heavy; the selection is grown for foliage, not a showy flower display. Proven Winners describes it as heat tolerant and suitable as a water plant. ## Growing conditions Give Coffee Cups a generous container or open bed, warm temperatures, and consistently moist, fertile soil. It can grow as an annual in cold-winter climates and persist as a perennial in warmer areas; the current Proven Winners profile lists USDA zones 8–11. ## Maintenance Water through hot weather so the large leaves remain in good condition. After frost kills the top growth in colder regions, lift the tubers, let them dry, and store them in a cool, dark, frost-free place for replanting in spring. The plant can be harmful if eaten, so keep it out of reach of children and pets.