It's hard to beat elephant ears for the drama they bring to your landscape with their towering height and huge leaves the size of, well, elephant ears. Whichever elephant ear you choose, you can look forward to a fast-growing plant that can shoot up as tall as 10 feet in sun or shade. Successfully caring for elephant ear plants begins with planting. Elephant ears can tolerate multiple soil types but prefer moist (sometimes even soggy), nutrient-rich loam. Some people also grow elephant ears as annual plants or as indoor houseplants — they come in all sizes.