New Bug Attacks Elephant Ear Plants
By Rick Bogren
LSU AgCenter
The recent Louisiana discovery of dying wild taro, or elephant ear, has LSU AgCenter scientists expressing concern.
In the first week of October 2020, John Hartgerink, a retired chemical engineer, found large patches of taro dying at the Bluebonnet Swamp Nature Center in Baton Rouge. Observers believe the dieback is associated with the presence of a planthopper insect and perhaps plant pathogens.