This very species grows up to 4 meters high (!) Alociasa Polly can thrive at room temperature. The calcium oxalate has crystals that leech into the tissues of your dog’s skin and mouth which causes injury to your dog’s mouth. If you suffer from dry air have a look at our Humidity guide for ideas as the Alocasia is not adaptable to this requirement. #colocasia #gardenwitch, This is a candid shot. Alocasia Williams Hybrid - Elephant Ear. Pot up the corm, water it and move it to a warmer location. ‘Hilo Beauty’ – is a small variety (about a foot tall) of Alocasia with irregular yellow or cream flecks on the dark green leaves. One way to crank the humidity up is to put your Alocasia on a pebble-filled tray of water. Solution: Generally speaking, Alocasia Polly needs quite a lot of water. ‘Burgundy Stem’ – is a tall cultivar with deep purple petioles topped with big green leaves with a slight purple tinge. Taro (Colocasia esculenta) tubers (L) and tannia or tiquisque (Xanthosoma sagittifolium) tubers (C) for sale in a Costa Rican market, and Alocasia tubers for sale in Fiji. Those without bulbs are harder to keep indoors, although it may be possible to keep them going as houseplants if kept in a warm, bright location. In zones 9-11, they can be in the ground all year. When in active growth the compost must be kept moist at all times. We teach, learn, lead and serve, connecting people with the University of Wisconsin, and engaging with them in transforming lives and communities. Reminiscent of calla lily flowers, yellow flowers are occasionally produced amid the boldly patterned leaves. You must avoid both direct harsh Sunlight and very dark and gloomy spots for your plant. webName: "uwexces", Some types of elephant ears also produce smaller tubers or “cormels” (also called “eddos”) which grow off the sides of the main corm. teaserBase : "https://wimastergardener.org/events/" }); E-mail us with questions about the Master Gardener Program. If kept as a houseplant, you should try to mimic this environment as good as possible. Elephant ears combine well with caladiums. Problem: Alocasia Polly leaves turning yellow. Grow dark-leaved varieties in full sun for best color. Direct summer sunlight should generally be avoided as this will cause the leaves to burn. Elephant's Ear (Alocasia) is a common outdoor garden plant and container plant for indoors. All you need to do is gently remove the offset along with some of it's roots before potting it up in a pot containing a similar mix to what it was growing in before. And even better, it is so easy to overwinter. This means everything above the soil dies off. To create additional collections, you must be a paid member of our site. So, what is the right amount of water then, please? The description of these plants has been written based on numerous outside resources. Let's take a quick look at two varieties that are well liked and very easy going (we'd even go as far as saying they're less fussy than A. A bit of fertilizer will produce larger leaves which are more dramatic. Often, though, this is easier said than done. A number of cultivars also exist, including types with dark leaves (for example, C. esculenta 'Black Magic'), placing them among the so-called "black plants." spudType : "upcoming" , This unusual looking houseplant will produce flowers on occasion, but it's not brought for this reason. He is the main content writer for the Ourhouseplants Team. Warm Temperature Warm temperatures are preferred. Temperatures below 10 degrees should be avoided whenever possible. Alocasia x amazonica (Amazonian Elephant Ear), Want Garden Inspiration? If you have just discovered your love for houseplants, you may want to start with a simpler plant. This is not normally needed, but if your plant has produced lots of offsets or it has outgrown its pot it's a good idea to repot in Spring. While every effort has been made to describe these plants accurately, please keep in mind that height, bloom time, and color may differ in various climates. Elephant ears belong to two species of plants: Colocasia and Alocasia. However, you can extend the growing season to produce larger plants, by starting them early. And even better, it is so easy to overwinter. Instead they're replaced by a leaf shape that looks like a Stingray with the fish like wings and long tail. Most of these herbaceous species in the arum or aroid family (Araceae) that are offered as ornamentals belong to the genera Colocasia, Alocasia, and Xanthosoma, although there are others that have similar appearance and growth habits. . The speed of growth of this leavy friend is moderate. Once the frost is out of the ground you can move it outside to provide more light and condition it to the wind. The best way to propagate your Alocasia is by rhizome division. It is defined by its deep green leaves accentuated by whitish or light green veins. In their native habitat the smooth, waxy leaves will grow 3 feet long and 2 feet wide or more (depending on the species) but they tend to be much smaller when grown as a seasonal plant. Corms and some true bulbs do this if they don’t like the planting depth – they change it. Strictly speaking, Alocasia Poly is the correct name, though. Easy to grow, they stand proud and bold provided some basic rules are respected.Read More, Not sure which Alocasia - Elephant Ears to pick?Compare All Alocasia - Elephant Ears, Buy Alocasia x amazonica 'Polly' (Amazonian Elephant Ear), Great Plant Combination Ideas with Alocasia - Elephant Ears. In return you're given a much taller and slender looking plant, where the stems are vivid and have a pattern similar to a Zebra (hence the name). Unsubscribe at any time. Repeat this routine for a couple of days until the problem is finally under control. If possible plant in a bog that does not have standing water, but they will grow in normal garden soil moisture. However this is more of a defense mechanism and consuming the plant tends to result in unpleasant side effects and is rarely fatal. I'm 5' 6" for reference. Alocasia Polly is not very fond of hard tap water. Be sure to consider the potential for the elephant ear to shade out smaller plants as they grow when you choose a planting location in the spring. Solution: Whenever you are dealing with mealybugs, the first thing you should do is to isolate your plant. My first variegated Alocasia! Join now and start creating your dream garden! More moisture will give you larger leaves. Alocasia calidora showing upright leaves on long petioles. Average Feeding Alocasia plants grow slowly and are not too fussy about feed so once a month (or less) is fine. A waterless pot is of course much lighter! One proven way to get rid of Spider mites is to use a plant-based miticide (spray!). Although it normally comes back in Spring it can disappoint people to have a houseplant which is not "there" for the whole year. Elephant ears do not grow in cool soil which is a bit of an issue in colder climates since we have such a short summer. It's a tropical plant and needs reasonable, or high humidity. Provide copious water and fertilizer as the plants grow, especially for those in containers, as they are heavy feeders. Impressive, Alocasia 'Portora' (Elephant Ear) is a tender perennial boasting enormous ruffled green leaves borne on strong purple stems. The standard emerald green C. esculenta, with a matte finish, used to be about the only type of elephant ear available to Midwestern gardeners, but over the past couple of decades breeding programs have produced a lot of new ornamental varieties. The focus of this plant should be maintaining its beautiful foliage. I am constantly looking for new houseplants to gradually transform my apartment into an urban jungle. Elephant ears is the common name for a group of tropical perennial plants grown for their large, heart-shaped leaves. Without doubt Alocasia plants belong to one of the most unusual and quirky family of plants. You may be able to avoid this if the plant is moved to a warmer spot as Winter approaches. Add them to large aquatic containers in combination with papyrus and water lilies or keep them in individual containers to mix and match with other plants on a deck or patio. On top of that, misting your plant on a regular basis is recommended. Alocasia rarely produces a flower and subsequent seed pod. Although they are often treated as tender annuals, many types can be kept over the winter. Spider mites are almost always a sign of not underwatering because spider mites generally just thrive on houseplants that are too dry. Spider Mites / Scale / Mealybugs / Aphids. These are very tough corms. The only difference is much less watering and no feeding until new shoots come back in Spring. Then plant it once the soil is warm (18C or 65F). In the Midwestern garden these plants are grown for their flat sagittate (arrow- or heart-shaped) leaves that often have prominent veins. They do bloom with an arum-like flower, but the plants are grown mostly for the leaves. ‘Mojito’ – has dull green leaves irregularly splotched, speckled, and streaked with black on dark or pattterned petioles. Fertilizer - Selecting The Right NPK Ratio, GA3 - Gibberellic Acid Speeds Up Seed Germination. Elephant ears is the common name for a group of tropical perennial plants grown for their large, heart-shaped leaves.