Meet Taro - Kalo

Fruit or Vegetable Vegetable

Color Leaves/Stem: green. Root Flesh: brown, pink, orange, salmon, purple crescent and white, white, cream, yellow

Edible Parts Stem, leaf, root (corm)

Season Year-Round

Seeds vs cutting Cuttings or “huli” in Hawaiian

How it grows Root with heart shaped leaves

Nutrition. Root: Rich in carbohydrates, calcium, fiber, iron, niacin, vitamins B1, B2 & C. Leaves: calcium, iron, vitamins A, B1, B2 & C

About the plant

Kalo is the most important plant in Hawaiian culture. Kalo is the kinolau (form of god) of the god Kāne. Kalo was the first child of two Hawaiian gods and named Hāloanakalaukapalili. The second child, was the first Hawaiian man, and named Hāloa in honor of his older brother. When we take care of a kalo plant (our elder), kalo takes care of us (the descendants of the younger brother) by providing sustenance. The parent kalo plant (makua) have offspring (‘ohā) that sprout off the sides. ‘Ohana means “many ‘ohā”, or “family”.

how to harvest taro

To harvest the corm, use your feet to break the smaller roots. Pull the kalo out of the earth. Rinse the corm and take off the huluhulu roots. Then, use a sharp knife to cut just below the kōhina (see picture above). You need a little bit of the corm so it can grow roots again.

Make huli – a cutting to regrow another kalo plant. Cut right above the V. Let the huli rest for 2-3 days in the shade – this process is said to dry out the corm a bit and kill any residual pathogens or snail eggs. Replant in 3 days.

Eat the corm and leaves! Ono!

When to harvest the kalo root/corm?

After 7-12 months, the leaves of the taro plant will begin to shrink and move it’s energy into growing the root/corm. At this stage, the corm gets very large. This is when you harvest the root.

When to harvest the taro leaves?

Leaves can be harvested year round. I was taught that it is best to grow taro for either harvesting the leaves or the corms, and not usually both from the same plant. While you can harvest the leaves and corms from the same plant, you will have more abundant leaves by planting special lau or leaf varieties and plant closer together. Harvest the outside leaves after they are a full-sized leaf, and always be sure to leave at least 2-3 leaves growing on the plant.