SOmeone SOMEWHERE on this whole site has to have some ALOS

Here is a small to medium Alocasia from Sumatera, it prefer medium to higher altitude cooler grower. Alocasia inornata, chimeric mutant, green form

THAT is the green form???? Its gorgeous.

I initially purchased my Alocasia Polly at Walmart a few years ago. Knowing nothing about them, I struggled with finding the right spot and right amount of water. I thought I had lost it completely. But it came back with 2 stalks and 2 large leaves each and now has a bunch of baby leaves.

I have 2 other Alocasias, but I still don't feel comfortable with them yet.
I'm hoping to eventually be able to get them out in the garden. But for now, I keep them in pots on my lanai. They get a lot of light but no direct sun and I am currently heavily misting them to water. When, I do just pour water in, it's not much, just enough to moisten up the soil. Hopefully, by paying attention here, I'll become more comfortable with them.

Thinking about it, I do have a couple of alocasias - Black Velvet and Bambino. I will take photos tomorrow. I bought Black Velvet last year and it almost died this winter indoors. It started growing once it got outdoors. If it had done better, I would have picked up a few more types.

Beautiful Tofi and Gheri!

Gina1960 said: THAT is the green form???? Its gorgeous.

Alocasia inornata are a little bit variable species, their coloration range from green to silvery to dark metalic with maroon backside similar to A. cuprea,

The dark form will be pinkish when variegated due to the maroon pigments


I love that 'Polly' too Gheri , they are more compact and often has curled leaves in my care

Thankyou LorettaNJ, they are fun to grow but also finnicky

Alocasia POLY has a unique story. POLY is a 'selection' from tissue culture from a plant known universally as 'Alocasia Amazonica'. This plant was not a species, or, apparently, a known hybrid. It was a plant that was generated by either tissue culture or a natural hybrid and "discovered' in the 1950's in a nursery in Miami called the Amazon nursery. The owner of the nursery named it Alocaisa amazonica. The name stuck. Poly is a TC clone named because they thought that its size as a TC plant indicated it was a polyploid. A genetic misadventure. But the plant called Poly is actually a descendant if Alocasia sanderiana.

Alocasia advincula. This plant goes wayyyyyyy back. I no longer have it, nor do I know any contemporary source for it. It was called the BATWING alocasia for the brief time in was on the American market. If anyone here knows if a source, I would love to find another, mine was lost in 2010

Batwing is a good name for it.

It was a very cool plant.It came on the market when many rare plants were boing marketed via tissue culture.Unfortunately it has never regained popularity

You never know. It might pop up somewhere.

Are you growing Alocasias in the ground? I think you are, so can you teach us how?

Gosh Gina, you're like having a plant encyclopedia around. I like knowing the origin of these plants, not that I'll remember it later. haha.
Batwing leaves are cool.

I have A. Polly, Bambino and Black Velvet.
Polly, I've had for many years, it stays outside in a clay pot, goes dormant every year and has always come back, but never gets too big before it gets cold again, would probably get really nice and full if it was in a greenhouse.
Polly


Bambino, I had less than a year, it's cute and I did take it inside when we got cold so it didn't go dormant. It has doubled in size since I got it.


Black Velvet, I've had in my FL room for well over a year, it is a bit more temperamental, it doesn't like too much water, seems to never have more than 3 leaves at a time, I just moved it outside hoping brighter light will make it happier.

I have Poly both in a container and in the ground inside the greenhouse. It ALWAYS goes dormant in the winter. Many of the Alocasias with Sanderiana heritage like Poly have kind of a natural dormancy period. Its actually a bit normal for them to go down. I love your Bambino!!!!!!!!

Oh, that is good to know, Gina. Yes, Bambino is a cutie, I do like it a lot. It is a nice size too.

Gheri, I grow **some** in the ground but not all. The things I have found that they like is a lot of light but not necessarily full sun, a lot of water but not to be grown IN water (like colocasias can be), regular food, and to be left a bit alone in the winter when they slow down. I think a lot of people make a key error in growing alocasias in containers and think that when they go dormant, as they can in the cooler months with the shorter days, that the plant has gone belly and died. Then they throw the pot out. Not realizing the plant will almost 100% sure come back in Spring. Especially the finicky ones like the Jewel Alocasias.

Glad to know they go dormant. This is a wider shot of the Polly with the baby leaves

Alocasia Black Velvet, photobombed above and shown below is actually a rescue. Due to a divorce, I was invited to a private plant sale. The plants were extremely inexpensive, but needed some resuscitation. This one has bounced back well and has new baby leaves too. I love the leaves, they are aptly named with the velvety leaves. The picture really doesn't do these leaves justice. I love this plant!

It had a tiny visitor

Thanks Gina!
I'm glad I hung in there with the Polly! I'm learning that when plants look dead doesn't mean they are dead. I have a heart leaf fern that I thought died, but put it out in the garden and it has bounced back. Now, my ferns are all out in the garden, but in pots. I learned my lesson with the Boston Fern that was planted in the ground and has been trying to take over. Anyway, sorry to go off topic there.
My alocasias are on my lanai for now. When they get to the point when I can propogate, then I will experiment with them in the ground here.
I'm so glad you started this thread. It's helping me alleviate my alocasia fear.

I dug up an old plant inventory from my last home and found I grew the following Alos at some point.
Posiden's Spear
Cuprea
Sarian
Purple Prince
Culculata
Portadora
Maki

Most of these came from Brian Williams.