Hi,
I've got seed pods growing on my elephant ears, I cut two off but I think I cut them off too early, they have tiny green pods. I have dried them for a few days. What's the next step? How do I get the seeds out?
I've got another three pods on the plant still, when do I cut those off?
Thanks
Candice

I think you were supposed to let them dry on the plants, hopefully I'm wrong and other members will correct me, as they often do, thats what I love about this forum

to the forum

Hi & welcome! Elephant ear refers to so many different kinds of plants. Do you know the botanical name of your plant? The seeds would probably be red when ripe.

Thanks for replying Christine and purpleinopp.
Someone said it was Alocasia.
Do I strip the cover off the pods like the pictures you sent and let them dry like that on the plant or leave it as it is?

I'd say leave them on the plant, we'll see what Tiffany says

Happy to suggest for your investigation. That is gorgeous! I am not at all equipped to give advice in that regard, or equipped to ID your plant. Maybe @eclayne might know, or might know who might know. Best luck!

Your plant does look like an Alocasia, possibly Elephant's Ear (Alocasia 'Calidora') or
Upright Elephant Ear (Alocasia 'Portora')

Information in the database states: Remove seed from berry which contains chemicals that inhibit germination. Viability declines if seeds are allowed to dry. Soak overnight in distilled water and plant.

Candysayshi said:Do I strip the cover off the pods like the pictures you sent and let them dry like that on the plant or leave it as it is?

You can remove the cover (bottom of the spathe) to get a better look at the berries. The berries must be allowed to mature before you remove them from the plant. You'll know they're ripe when they turn red or orange.

A screen strainer works well to gently mash the berries to get at the seeds. Mash/rinse all of the berry pulp off of the seeds. Chemicals in the pulp inhibit germination which helps in seed dispersal by various insects. Soak the seeds overnight in distilled water and plant right away. I've used tap water which has worked well for me but distilled water is safest.

P.S. That's a great looking Alocasia but I'm not sure which one.

P.P.S. Can you take a picture of the bloom on the plant?

Excellent, thanks so much everyone!!

I have read through these threads a couple times and am still unsure if my seed pod is ready to be removed. Help!

Candysayshi said:Hi,
I've got seed pods growing on my elephant ears, I cut two off but I think I cut them off too early, they have tiny green pods. I have dried them for a few days. What's the next step? How do I get the seeds out?
I've got another three pods on the plant still, when do I cut those off?
Thanks
Candice

ChelleyBean said:I have read through these threads a couple times and am still unsure if my seed pod is ready to be removed. Help!

I'm still unsure when to take the seed pods off. I gave up and just left them on the tree 🤷‍♀️

I believe their suppose to be white to a mature orange color from what I read before planting.

I have planted my first bed of upright elephant ears...we recently began noticing the seed pods, we have 6 total. I think I took one off too early because it wasnt red but made my hands itch for an hour after rinsing and following directions I read on this thread. Can you tell if the rest are ready by the pictures? I also have a planter of coladiums and I have a pod on them too. Are they also red/orange when ready? Thank you in advance for any advice!

Aroids make fruit, called berries, not seeds (except that the seeds are INSIDE the berries). You need to leave them on the plant until they ripen, then they will start to fall out naturally or pull out easily from the spadix. You can collect, clean and sow them.

Berries of different species ripen at drastically different rates. Some species of Anthurium can take a year or more to ripen, Monstera deliciosa 18 months-2 years. ALocasia may be quicker, I don;t know, I have never pollinated mine to try and get fruit.

Hi everyone! I am new to the group. I was searching for information about the red berries on my elephant ears and ran across this site. I enjoyed reading the thread on here and learned a great deal of information. My elephant ears are about three years old, and this is the first year that I have seen the red berries. I knew that they flowered but never noticed the berries, mainly because they are on the side of the house.
So my question is, must I plant the seeds immediately? Fall and cooler weather are upon us, and usually, the ears die back every year. If I seed them now and they are ready to be planted in the ground in several weeks, it will be too cold to plant, right?
I haven't looked at the ears in a few days, but I will in the morning to see the status now(if they are still there), and I would greatly appreciate any information that anyone has.

The berries are a fruit, like a pomegranate makes fruit. The seeds are inside the berries. If you don;t harvest them, there is a chance you will lose them to insects and small animals, like birds and mice, which like to eat them. And yes, you would need to sow them now. Tropical seeds have a very very short lifespan. You have to get the seed out of the berry and sow it either in the ground or in moss. This is how you treat an anthurium berry, the process would be the same for any aroid berry








Alternately you can just let them fall on the ground as the spadix deteriorates but then you run the risk of having them spoil and mold.

Thank you Gina 19! I believe they are mature now. So after following your instructions I can sow them into the ground directly now as they are?
Is this how it starts ( second pic)?

Just squeeze them out of the berry. The berry contains a gel like substance that you should wipe off. Then you can sow them.

I'd wear gloves when cleaning seeds. Aroids contain calcium oxalate raphides that can mess up your skin. The sap makes my skin itchy, red, and somewhat crusty. Not fun!

I have never had that problem myself and I sow a few hundred seeds every season