Alocasia types: 12 species, from easiest to most demanding

Alocasias have huge arrow-shaped leaves, near-black blades with silvery veins, and surfaces that look like hammered leather. The same variety shows up in cultivation: some species forgive small mistakes, while others react quickly to too much water, cold or low light. Jardineiro.net has put together 12 species, from the simplest to the most demanding.

The genus Alocasia, in the family Araceae, includes around a hundred species from tropical and subtropical Asia and parts of Oceania. The text points out that the trade mixes species, cultivars and hybrids: Alocasia melo, longiloba and sanderiana are species, while Polly is a cultivar linked to a hybrid between longiloba and sanderiana. It also warns that elephant ear is not a synonym for Alocasia, since the name also covers other aroids with large leaves.

The list starts with Alocasia macrorrhizos, a vigorous giant that recovers well but grows too big for a small room. In the middle are species such as wentii, longiloba, sinuata and Jacklyn, and near the end come the more delicate ones, such as Black Velvet and melo, and, in last place, Alocasia nebula, which has a narrow margin for error.

One tip that stayed with me is to reduce the number of variables when a newly arrived plant drops leaves: instead of repotting, feeding and watering more all at once, check the root ball first. I liked the ordering by difficulty, which helps you choose a first alocasia without frustration.

Source: Jardineiro.net