All About Alocasia: Five Facts
Alocasia come in a wide range of forms and appearances, and with proper care, they can become showstoppers. These plants are characterized by large, arrow-shaped leaves, often with prominent veins. Some of the more sought-after varieties have beautiful variegation. In their native environments in southeast Asia, Alocasia can grow up to ten feet tall.
Alocasias are a family of house plants that are notorious for their difficult, finicky nature. If you're anything like me, you've lost your share of these beautiful plants—and maybe you've sworn off trying to grow them altogether. But fear not, because today we'll discuss ways to help these plants not only live, but thrive.
How do we interpret the needs of a plant that is prone to drama over small changes in its environment? Oftentimes, plants react the same way to over-watering as under-watering, and too much light to not enough light. Experience is a good teacher, but so is understanding the nature of the plant.
*Pets and plants tip: alocasia can be mildly toxic if consumed, so make sure your pets don't try to ingest the leaves!
Water
More often than not, houseplants are more prone to the effects of over-watering—which can affect the roots and cause root rot—than underwatering. Alocasia prefer their soil to be slightly moist and well-draining; a moderately chunky mix will help if the soil is staying too wet. If the leaves feel bendy, over-watering is likely the culprit; if they are crisp, the plant is thirsty.
Humidity
Just like in their native environments of Thailand and Malaysia, these plants prefer high amounts of humidity in the home to keep their beautiful leaves happy. Last month's Top 5 blog focused on ways to increase humidity in your home, but a great way to do this is to keep your alocasia near other houseplants, or keep a small humidifier close by. When propagating from corms (more below), keep them in a vessel with some sort of humidity dome.
Lighting
Like many other varieties of houseplant, alocasia prefer bright, indirect light. Direct sunlight can scald their sensitive leaves, especially in variegated forms. But insufficient light will affect their ability to photosynthesize and absorb the necessary nutrients for growth. Oftentimes when an alocasia produces a new leaf, an older one will suffer—this can be normal, unless multiple leaves begin to wilt or yellow.
Roots/Propagation
Alocasia are uncommon amongst most other houseplant varieties, in that they grow from tuberous rhizomes called corms, and aren't easily propagated by leaf or stem cuttings because they lack nodes. Watch for the corms when you repot—as these are how the plant reproduces, and you can use them to grow more alocasia!
By its nature, an alocasia will go dormant during the winter months, so decrease watering and fertilization from what you may give it during the growing season. Furthermore, if an alocasia loses all of its leaves and looks as if it won't survive, don't throw in the towel just yet—the corms may still be alive and biding their time before sending up a new shoot.
Pests
Unfortunately, pests are an inescapable fact when dealing with houseplants, and alocasia are especially prone to spider mites. If water, soil, and lighting aren't the issue, check the leaves for evidence of mites. They may present as small dots and webbing, making the leaves look dirty and yellowed. Use a homemade neem oil mixture or insecticidal soap to spray the tops and undersides of each leaf—and be vigilant for new eggs and recurrences. Washing the leaves regularly with a blast of water can also help.
When dealing with pests of any sort, always check nearby plants and isolate the culprits to help reduce possible spread.
Hopefully some of this helps the next time you pick up a new alocasia to take home. Be sure to check out all of the beautiful varieties at Floral Acres the next time you stop by.
Until next time!