Plant of the Month: Alocasia amazonica

As houseplants, Alocasia amazonica prefer an environment that mimics their ancestors’ home, the jungle. They love bright, indirect light and very high humidity, so keep near a very bright window and water often. A well aerated and well draining growing media, amended with peat, sphagnum, and perlite is best - their soil should be damp, not muddy.  Their leaves should be cleaned often to avoid dust build up and they can and should be misted very frequently. Artificial heating can severely dry them up so placing pebble trays full of water underneath is a great way to supplement humidity. Another easy trick, which all high-humidity plants will appreciate, is grouping your tropicals together. As one plant perspires, the water they give off will be absorbed by their neighbors.

From spring through the end of summer, fertilize every two weeks with a diluted all-purpose fertilizer. Keep your Alocasia nice and warm, as any time spent below 65 degrees will surely kill them or possibly send them into dormancy. Alocasia tend to go through a dormancy period during winter months when light is limited and temperatures drop in your home. If your plant goes dormant, you can dig up the corm and keep it in a dry place until you can provide enough heat and moisture to wake it up again.

Repotting is best done in spring, but keep in mind that these plants like to be in somewhat smaller containers so yearly repotting may not be necessary. When repotting, you can divide the rhizomes to propagate new plants. Break off smaller corms that have developed and place them in a new pot, with the top just above the soil line to keep the new growth from rotting.

Alocasia are toxic to cats and dogs, so always make sure to keep them out of reach from your pets and small children!

RECAP

LIGHT - bright, indirect light

TEMP - warm, 65-80

FERTILIZER - spring-fall, every two weeks, diluted by half

WATER - constantly moist, allow to dry slightly in winter

SOIL - well draining, amended w/peat moss & sphagnum

REPOT - every 1-2 years in spring