They want lots of food as well as water, and full sun. They grow fairly rapidly once the weather gets consistently hot--much as I love these nights in the fifties, they'll do better when they're in the sixties. I want to add, some people are really negative about elephant ears because SOME of them spread and are hard to get rid of (I have some of those too, so I sort of understand) Black Magic is a clumper and while the clump will get bigger I don't think it would ever be a problem, especially since your friends will want every offset you can pry loose from mama--and they can pry loose from you!

I grow Black Magic around a little fish pool. It gets really big, but it doesn't seem to be too aggressive. Pests are much of a problem. I do give away a lot of it, though.

My BMs even overwinter here with some mulch. I really like them as they give good color contrast to the tropical beds I am planting. Like the hardy banana, Musa Basjoo, they love to be fed and watered. My dogs leave them alone for the most part.

You can take root cuttings if you want but they will take 2 years to develop. I have to bring mine indoors for the winter in NJ. They do fine in a sunny window but will sunburn if you put them out right in blazing sun. Need to aclimate gradually to amount to sunlight. 2 weeks in part shade 2 weeks in half a day sun then into full sun.

You might get them to come back if you mulch them over really well or make a basket filled with leaves to put over them.