Alocasia Zebrina
This the number one plant that I own (don’t tell the others), I love everything about it from those amazing petioles to the huge pointy leaves and it would appear that It is thriving in my care! I purchased my plant about eight months ago when this was quite an unusual plant, It arrived with three little leaves and was only about 30cm tall. In the last few months, I have started to see examples for sale in high street florists and garden centers and for very reasonable prices too. The fact they are now so readily available and reasonably priced is a general pointer that they are quite easy to propagate for the nursery and so should therefore be relatively easy for you to care for as well. But this is not your usual houseplant that can be placed anywhere in the home and water occasionally, to thrive it will need a little additional care.
In nature, the Alocasia group is found across Southeast Asia and into subtropical areas of Australia. As well as being planted for ornamental purposes the Alocasia group is also widely cultivated for the edible rhizome often referred to as Taro.
Although this plant does have amazing leaves, that get better as they get bigger the star of the show is the Petioles (stems). The stripy markings that give this plant its name are simply beautiful.
My particular plant is still growing, with each new leaf being larger than the last. The total height is 120cm with the largest leaf just over 50cm long. I have seen images of plants at least twice the size of mine so given the correct care and situation this could well grow to be a monster!
Watering,
Watering the Zebrina is quite easy, you have to water it less than you would think a plant of this size needs. Those stems are hard and full of water so it is able to sustain itself very well between watering. I use rainwater or water from my aquarium approximately once a week but only if my finger comes out with no moist soil on it. watering should be enough to wet the substrate but you don’t want to see water running through the bottom of the pot if you can help it. If your plant is in desperate need of watering it will lower its petioles and the leaves will start to droop, if you see this then its give it a good soak for 5 minutes then allow the pot to drain before putting the plant back in its place.
Depending on which part of the growing season it is, the requirements for water will change. In winter the plants tend to slow down their growth sometimes going completely dormant even indoors and will therefore require less water during this time.
Humidity,
This is a tropical plant so it will grow significantly better in a humid environment. There are several ways to increase the humidity for your plant, placing your plant on a tray of wet pebbles will help keep the air around the plant moist as it evaporates and spraying/misting your plant every day will help allot. Never ever place this plant near to a radiator, even in its dormant period during the winter as this will dry it up very quickly,
Temperature,
I have found the ideal temperature for this plant in my care is between 22C° and 24C°, while it will be happy at warmer temperatures it will go dormant if it gets to below 18C° for a period of time.
Lighting,
The Zebrina plant loves plenty of light. I have mine in an East facing window so it gets direct sunlight all morning and then as the sun gets stronger the light becomes indirect. As with many plants to much direct sunlight will scorch the leaves turning them yellow. If you see this happening just move the plant back from the window a few feet if you can.
Potting mix,
Despite its large size, this plant does not need a huge pot, the temptation to take your plant home and remove it from the nursery pot immediately and put it into a large pot is very high but try to resist. Alocasia in general like to have their bulbs in a snug pot, not to the point of being root bound but don’t pot it on until there are a significant number of roots in there. Make sure your new pot has plenty of drainage holes and don’t use a standard potting mix you get in a bag from your nursery. This kind of soil tends to be very light and fluffy and when it gets wet its becomes sodden and does not drain at all well, this will cause the corn and roots to rot. I use a well-draining mix that I make up at home of Coconut coir, perlite, and orchid bark, if you don’t have these available it is well worth sourcing some from your local nursery or specialist supplier they don’t cost too much and will make a huge difference to the health of your plant. I get mine from the Soil Ninja a super little shop that supplies ready-mixed for particular plant species or the separate ingredients to mix your own. I highly recommend the worm castings to give your soil a boost!
This plant will turn its leaves in the direction of the light to such an extent that it is important to rotate the plant occasionally or you will find it leaning in one direction rather than growing upwards. This lean is the plant trying to get reach more light but in my home, I have found any more light and the leaves will burn so I just think it is being greedy!
Sweaty leaves, this is something I have not experienced with any other plant to the extent I have with this one, if it’s overwatered it will sweat excess water from her leaves, it collects in a droplet at the end of the leaf. I don’t think the odd droplet is any cause for concern as its part of the plant’s survival mechanism. Perhaps just hold back on the watering a little if you are seeing this regularly.
Toxicity,
This along with the rest of the Alocasia group is a plant that is poisonous if ingested, in particular the bulb. The sap will cause skin irritation as well so its best kept away from young children and any pets who are likely to want to have a nibble.
There are two variations that I have seen either on specialist websites or on social media. The variegated form which as the suggests has variegated leaves that range from green to yellow and even cream in some instances. As with all variegated plants, its lighting requirements are a little different to the normal type and I am still learning how best to keep this but so far it looks like more light but diffused is the key to keeping it happy. Direct sunlight for any prolonged periods appears to burn the leaves. Then there is the black stem variation, this has the usual green leaves but the stem (petioles) are completely black rather than striped. I don’t have one of these (yet!).
So there we have it, my guide to how I care for my Alocasia Zebrina. I hope that you have found it helpful and if you have any tips of your own feel free to comment, I would love to hear them!