Hello, new to this thread, but wanted to ask about my new plants - I see a recommendation above for Alocasia 'Stingray'. I just got two little ones, but before they go out into the garden I need to know how big they will get, please? We will have tropical conditions until about the end of October, then the nights get cool. We do get some cold temps (35 to 40F at night) in winter here, so they will go dormant.

Also got a start of Colocasia 'Blue Hawaii' that's a bit disappointing so far, supposed to have " a feathered pattern, wavy leaf edges and prominent bluish purple veins" but all I see is a purple leaf axil. Has anybody else grown this cultivar?

Elaine,
Lariann has a picture of Stingray that will kill you.


Upright Elephant Ear (Alocasia macrorrhizos 'Stingray')

Wow, no kidding! So the catalog's estimate of 4 to 5ft is out to lunch.

Plus it's in full blazing sun in that picture, too! That will change things as to where I put them, for sure. Thanks, Ric.

I'm glad you brought up the full sun Elaine. Other than needing extra water has anyone noticed a problem with siting any of the Colocasia in full sun?

Welcome Dizzy!
I have a Blue Hawaii and it looks just like yours, only larger. Mine came from a co-op of Agri-Starts plants. You might google their website and see they have quite a bit of information about the plants they sell.

I don't put any of my colos or alos in full sun. Full sun here is probably a little different than in other parts of the country, however. I belong to a garden club that hosts flower shows, so I keep my named EEs in pots to exhibit. I do have a few that are in ground, but those get covered in winter with a large hoop house. I sometimes move the pots around to follow the semi-shade. I feed them fish emulsion and sometimes a foliar feed of a concoction called "the Recipe" that's used on brugmansias.

While they require a lot of water in the summer, they don't do well in cold soggy soil in winter. I learned that the hard way!

I did not have success overwintering my stingray. It melted away and I didn't replace it. I hope yours does well for you! It's such a cool looking plant.

Checked this morning! The edges aren't ruffled, but there is a "quilted effect on the leaves. And the eye is purple, not red.
Not the greatest photos, but I was hurrying...

Thanks, all! Sandi, your Blue Hawaii has a lot more color than mine, and I can see the 'feathering' pattern, too. Maybe as the leaves get bigger they'll develop the much-touted colors. I'll wait and watch a month or two before hiding it away with the other plain ol' foliage plants out in the jungle. Might keep it in a pot for a year, to give it a chance to show its colors, too.

I do hope I can keep Stingray going here. I cover lots of my plants on the cold nights through winter, so will site it where it can be protected and get good light if not full sun. Some things like full sun in winter and more shade in summer here. Hmm. I did get two little Stingrays, so will put one in the ground and keep one in a pot to move around for now, to see how they go.

Sounds like a plan!

Quick update - Blue Hawaii finally has a photo-worthy leaf, and the Stingrays are double the size they were a month ago! My Blue Hawaii seems to have a bit more of a wavy edge now, too.

I couldn't successfully overwinter Sting-Ray. I just love that little "tail" on the ears. Looks like you may need larger pots soon! They look really happy!

Yup, and I just re-potted them 3 weeks ago, too. Should have gone a size or two larger then.

Do you have a favorite soil mix that works for yours?

I use Sunshine Mix, the big black cube.

One more update, I am now thrilled with my Colo. Blue Hawaii. It has all the coloring that was described in the catalog and the biggest leaf is over 2ft. long. It's in a big pot, inside my pool cage, so it's in about 80% sun for half the day, then shade. Other than being one thirsty fellow, it's just a great plant.

Happy Days! Oh, and Happy 4th, everyone.

Stingrays have not yet found a home, but I think I know where they are going to end up.

Beautiful dyzzypyxxy. I'm glad everything cleared up and the leaves are already 2'.

Hello Everyone,
I joined this forum looking for information about a plant I collected wild here in Tumaco, Colombia in South America. I believe it to be a variegated alocasia stingray. If anyone can help me verify the ID, & possibly tell me what is going on with the cup on the tail end of the leaves also? (I am assuming this is an odd variation)

Noel Calvert

Noel, I think Lari Ann on the Aroid forum may be able to answer your question. That's an interesting plant! Just click on the link below and post your question.

http://garden.org/forums/view/...

Hi Noel,
I'm no expert but could it be Xanthosoma 'Variegatum Monstrosum', which has the tail and the cup? I think Xanths are also indigenous whereas Alocasia would have to have been introduced.


Edit: I agree with Bubbles.

Here's my Stingray as of yesterday. Seems like as the leaves get bigger, they develop that wrinkled, cupped look. When it was little it had pretty little stingray-shaped leaves.

It could be a variegated Stingray, but I think Evan may be right, it sure could also be the Xantho.


Here's my Blue Hawaii making really vivid purple stems and veins so the leaves are much prettier now than they were in the warm weather.

That Blue Hawaii is a knockout. I didn't understand the appeal until seeing how prominant the veins and edge color is in this photo...wow. Puts all the other red stemmed ones to shame.

Me either, Evan. I was watering it and fertilizing it like mad through the summer, and it made fairly plain, huge bright green leaves. Now that it's slowed down, and is making the smaller leaves more slowly, well the colors have really popped, and I'm thinking I'll give it house room for another year.

It's possible it will make the nicely colored leaves where you are for much more of the season, since you're mostly cooler than we are in the summer.

Here's a shot of it from summer