Elephant ear

Alocasia × amazonica · Family Araceae

Also known as: alocasia, african mask plant, alocasia polly

Light: Partial shade to bright indirect
Watering: Every 5 days
Difficulty: Demanding
Pet-safe: No, keep it away from cats and dogs

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Care

Where to put it

A warm, humid room such as a bright bathroom, away from draughts.

Light

Partial shade to bright indirect light. No direct sun.

Watering

Keep lightly moist but never soggy. May drop leaves and rest in winter.

About the plant

Alocasia 'Amazonica' impresses with arrow-shaped, dark green leaves and boldly marked white veins. It is demanding about humidity and temperature, but becomes a showpiece in any room. In a pot it reaches 60 cm.

Origin

A nursery-bred hybrid of South-East Asian species that live in humid forest understoreys.

What it likes

Filtered indirect light
High humidity
Steady warmth above 18 °C

What it dislikes

Soggy compost
Cold and draughts
Direct sun

Did you know?

Despite the name, it is not from the Amazon: the hybrid was created in the 1950s at a Florida nursery called Amazon.

Toxicity

Cats	Toxic
Dogs	Toxic
People	Toxic