Alocasia care guide

Alocasias have bold, arrow-shaped leaves with bright veins, velvet textures, or metal-like sheens. They are dramatic and a little moody. Most of the drama comes from three things: dry air, cold, and wet soil.

There are many alocasias. Small ones like ‘Polly’ fit on a shelf. Giants like ‘Calidora’ fill a corner. The care below fits them all.

Light

Give alocasias bright, indirect light. A spot near an east window, or a few feet back from a south or west window, works well.

Low light makes long, floppy stems and small leaves. Hot direct sun scorches the leaves.

Water

Water when the top 2 to 5 cm (1 to 2 in) of soil is dry. Water until it drains, then empty the saucer.

Alocasias grow from a corm, a bulb-like stem under the soil. Soggy soil rots it fast. Dry soil makes the leaves droop and crisp. Read how to tell if a houseplant is overwatered or underwatered.

Water less in winter, when growth slows.

Soil and potting

Use a chunky, airy mix. Combine houseplant soil with orchid bark and perlite. A pot with good drainage holes is a must.

Alocasias like a snug pot. Repot in spring or summer, one size up, when roots fill the pot. See how to repot a houseplant step by step.

Humidity and temperature

Alocasias want humid air. Dry winter air crisps the leaf edges and draws spider mites. Run a humidifier nearby, group it with other plants, or keep it in a bright bathroom.

Keep it between 18 and 27°C (65 and 80°F). Cold drafts and cold windows below 15°C (60°F) can push it into dormancy or kill the leaves.

Feeding

Feed monthly in spring and summer with a balanced liquid fertilizer at half strength. Skip fall and winter.

Pruning

Cut yellow or dead leaves off at the base of the stem. Wear gloves. The sap irritates skin.

Alocasias often drop an old leaf when a new one opens. One leaf in, one leaf out is normal for many types.

Winter dormancy

Some alocasias lose most or all of their leaves in winter, above all in a cool, dim, dry house. This is often dormancy, not death.

Check the corm. A firm corm is alive. Keep the soil almost dry, keep it warm, and wait. New leaves come back in spring. A soft, mushy corm has rotted.

Propagation

Alocasias make small corms, like little bulbs, in the soil around the roots.

1. In spring, ease the plant out of its pot.
2. Pull off the small corms, or divide the clump into pieces with roots.
3. Set corms in damp sphagnum moss or perlite in a covered container.
4. Keep it warm and bright. Roots and a leaf grow in a few weeks to a few months.

Problems

What you see	Most likely cause
Yellow lower leaf as a new one opens	Normal
Many yellow leaves, wet soil	Too much water
Crispy brown edges	Dry air or dry soil
Drooping, floppy stems	Low light, thirst, or rot
Fine webbing and speckled leaves	Spider mites
All leaves gone in winter	Dormancy. Check that the corm is firm.
Water drops on leaf tips	Normal. The plant pushes out extra water.

Pests

Spider mites love alocasias. Look under the leaves for fine webbing and tiny dots. Wipe both sides of the leaves every week or two, and raise the humidity. Mealybugs and fungus gnats can also show up. Read how to get rid of fungus gnats in houseplants.

Pet safety

The ASPCA lists alocasia, or elephant’s ear, as toxic to cats and dogs. It contains calcium oxalate crystals. Chewing causes mouth pain, drooling, swelling, and vomiting. Keep it out of reach.

Alocasia or colocasia?

Both are called elephant ears. Alocasia leaves point up or out, with the stem joined at the leaf’s edge. Colocasia leaves hang down, with the stem joined near the middle of the leaf. Colocasia is most often grown outside in summer.

Varieties

• ‘Polly’ has dark, arrow-shaped leaves with white veins. It is the most common.
• Zebra alocasia has striped stems like a zebra.
• ‘Black Velvet’ has velvety, near-black leaves with silver veins.
• ‘Frydek’ has velvety green leaves with bright white veins.
• ‘Dragon Scale’ has thick, textured leaves like scales.
• ‘Silver Dragon’ has silver leaves with dark veins.
• Alocasia cuprea has shiny, copper-colored leaves.
• ‘Calidora’ is a giant with leaves up to 1 m (3 ft) long.