Alocasia species
Common Names: African Mask, Elephant Ears
Plant Type: Herbaceous Perennial
Genus: Alocasia spp.
Family: Araceae (Aroids)
Alocasia spp. is a large perennial tropical herb with Creeping rhizomes and upright aerial stems. The plant stems are thick and short. Depending on the age of the plant and the degree of interference from human activities, the stems can grow to less than 10 cm high, and some are as high as 3-5 meters, 10-30 cm thick, with a lot of shoots sprouting from the base.
Alocasia houseplants are known for their distinctive and stunning foliage. The plant has broad heart-shaped or arrowhead-shaped, textured leaves, leading to the popular common name, elephant’s ear. Alocasia is a kind of subtropical plants that originate from Asia and Eastern Australia. In nature, these plants grow underneath a tree canopy, so the alocasia naturally develops large leaves comparing to other plants when it comes to soaking up sunlight.
Alocasia is a fairly popular decorative houseplant. The plant is distributed in South China, Southwest China and Taiwan, and also in Southeast Asia. It is propagated in the way of dividing plant, cutting, tissue culture and sowing. Different shades of green and yellow appear through the leaves when sunlight hits the leaves which is an attractive sight.
Alocasia has no bright flowers and fruits, but it is very popular because of its beautiful plant shape, leaf shape and color. Alocasia plant is an upright herb, it is tall and straight with sturdy stems. The plant grows vigorously and spectacularly with tropical rainforest scenery. The leaves are big, bright & round, giving people a sense of comfortable, pleasant feeling, and full of vitality. They are excellent foliage plants. Alocasia plants grow from bulbs, so even if they lose all of their leaves, the stored energy in their bulbs helps it sprout new leaves under the right conditions.
Elephant ear plant is poisonous and it is easily treated as taro or sweet potato by mistakes. If you lick the juice exuded from its leaves, eat other plant parts (leaves, stems, etc.), or contact sensitive parts with eyes and mouth, it will cause swelling and numbness of the contact parts, even central nervous system poisoning symptoms. Please seek medical advice in case of accidental ingestion or poisoning. The best place to put this plant is the living room, office desk dining room, or another shaded and indoor place. Alocasia has a strong resistance. It has a strong ability to adapt to adverse environments. It is resistant to water and humidity, high temperature, heavy dust and poor ventilation.
Air Purifying: Maintain the balance of carbon dioxide and oxygen, reduce the effect of benzene or formaldehyde gases. Improve the microclimate, reduce noise, conserve water and regulate humidity; In addition, it also has the functions of absorbing dust, purifying air and so on.
Light: Avoid direct sunlight which can cause leaf scorch. Light should vary from shade to full sunlight depending on the species and variety. Even though majority of Alocasia species prefer to grow in shade conditions, they will appreciate slightly brighter filtered sunlight if possible as their leaves can grow large & nice in color with more light. The amount of light Alocasia received will affect how quickly it can grow up. It is not tolerant of low-light situations. If your location does not have the ideal lighting conditions, try to use a Grow Light or bring the plant outdoors to give Alocasia enough light for healthy growth.
Water: Alocasia like warm, humid and semi-shady environment. The plants need to be given more water from April to November, then they will grow rapidly above 25 ℃. The plants have medium water requirements, but they do not like to be soggy. Soggy soil leads to Alocasia susceptible to fungal infections and root rot, so make sure to avoid overwatering. However, too dry environment is not good for its growth, water should be misted around the plant to increase the air humidity during cultivation. In the growing season of Alocasia, it is better to keep it damp than dry. Water Alocasia when the top few inches of the soil (around 25-50% of the soil volume) are nearly dry before watering. Reduce watering frequency during later fall & winter because the plant is dormant and not actively growing.
Temperature: Elephant ear plants prefer warmer environment due to their subtropical plant nature. Average room temperatures above 60°F (15°C) will be suitable for Alocasia plants, some varities will die back if temperature drops down to 50°F (10°C). Keep the plant away from exterior door, drafty window, or in front of an air conditioning or heating vent. The big temperature fluctuations will affect the plants growth and potentially damage the leaves. Alocasia will go dormant and stop growing in the colder months. The plants thrive in very humidity environments. Placing the houseplant in high humidity area is an ideal choice. Trying to use a humidifier if your living condition is too dry.
Soil: Alocasia spp. lives well in loose, well-draining, nutrient-rich soil. Soil should contain organic matter, like peat-based media, or shredded leaves. They have a preference for slightly acidic soil, the ideal PH value is PH 5.5.to 6.5.
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