Alocasia
Also called African mask plant, Kris plant, Elephant ear.
| Light | bright indirect light |
|---|---|
| Water | Every 5 days in the growing season, every 12 in winter |
| Pets | Cats toxic, dogs toxic |
Source: ASPCA Animal Poison Control, toxic and non-toxic plants list.
Toxic to cats and dogs if chewed. Listed as toxic to cats, dogs and horses. The insoluble calcium oxalates cause intense burning of the mouth and tongue, drooling and difficulty swallowing. Keep it where an animal that eats houseplants cannot reach it, and speak to a vet if one does. In South Africa telephone the Poison Information Helpline on 0861 555 777; in the US, the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center on (888) 426-4435.
The alocasia comes from the warm wet forests of south east Asia, and the plant sold as Alocasia x amazonica is a nursery hybrid rather than a wild species. The leaves are the point: deep green, held almost upright on long stalks, with pale veins standing out like the ribs of a mask. It is the fussiest plant in this part of the journal and it is fussy about one thing above all, which is air that does not dry out. In a heated room it browns at the edges and fills with spider mites within a month. It also keeps only a few leaves at a time and sheds an old one whenever it opens a new one, which alarms people who count them. Below about 16 degrees it stops altogether and may drop the lot, leaving a tuber that comes back in spring.
Ailments observed
| Yellow leaves at the bottom of the plant | Overwatering, or the plant shedding a leaf as a new one opens. Check the compost first. This plant keeps only a few leaves at a time and loses an old one for each new one. |
|---|---|
| Leaves falling off | A cold or dry winter, which sends it into dormancy. Water far less, keep it warm, and wait. The tuber is alive and it regrows in spring. |
| Fine webbing between the leaves | Spider mites, which find it quickly in dry air. Rinse both sides of every leaf, raise the humidity, and repeat weekly. |
Questions from the margin
My alocasia has lost every leaf. Is it dead?
Probably not. In a cold or dry winter it goes dormant and drops everything, leaving a tuber in the compost. Keep it warm, water very little, and it usually pushes up a new leaf in spring.
Filed underPlants for a bathroom, Plants for humid air, Statement plants
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