Amazon Elephants Ear – Alocasia amazonica ‘Polly’

I’ve added the Amazon elephant’s ear plant to the unusual plant section because of its distinct dark green leaves with whitish-colored veins that are quite unique and exotic. You can find this one in stores now and they are very unique and can be a good conversation piece. They do require extra care and are not on the easy list but you can do it if you pay close attention to what the Alocasia Amazonica is telling you.

This species that’s native to tropical Southeast Asia will let a grower know how much warmth, humidity, and water it requires. Do these things and it can be a great plant and if you are lucky it will flower. Challenge accepted?

Description

The Amazon Elephants Ear is a hybrid that has become a fairly popular ornamental house plant and is one of the easiest to find and buy from the Alocasia genus. Different shades of green and yellow appear through the leaves when sunlight hits the leaves which is an attractive sight.

This plant takes root from rhizomes which allows them to be easily propagated. Outdoors in a northern environment, this species will not survive the winter, although it may if it’s taken indoors before the end of summer.

Indoors – if the right temperatures and other conditions are given a grower can enjoy the unique foliage of this plant for a fair few years. The plant can become dormant but it will come back if your patient. Don’t freak out if it suddenly drops all the stems and looks like it died. Mine did that this winter but it came back a few weeks later!

Flowering: These have been known to flower (quite rare). Mine bloomed this tear and I’m so excited to share the pictures. The flower it produces has a green spathe and white spadix. It has lasted a couple weeks.

Ease of growing: This plant is not that easy to care for. This is because it needs much of its natural habitat to be imitated (it was hybridized but its parent plants would have grown in a tropical climate). During the summer caring seems to be much easier than in the winter.

The Amazon Elephants Ear needs plenty of light, warm enough temperatures, and above-average humidity levels. Grown in a controlled greenhouse environment is best, but who the heck is going to see it then?

Facts

Origin:	Southeast Asia.
Names:	Elephant’s ear – Alocasia Polly – African mask(common). Alocasia Amazonica (botanical/scientific).
Max Growth (approx):	Height 1 – 2 ft .
Poisonous for pets:	Toxic for cats and dogs.

Dark Shiny Leaves and White Veins

Elephants Ear Care

Temperature:	Bright light, but no direct sunlight, and shaded for a good part of the day in the summer, if it’s warm and humid enough.
Light:	Bright light, but no direct sunlight, and shaded for a good part of the day in the summer, if it’s warm and humid enough.
Watering:	Water a little but often – keeping the soil moist at all times. Water much less during winter.
Soil:	Use a fast-draining peat-based potting mix.
Fertilizer:	Feed with a diluted balanced fertilizer from spring every 2 weeks and stop at the end of August then start again at the beginning of spring.
Re-Potting:	These can be re-potted every spring but only use a pot one size bigger if it’s become very root bound.
Humidity:	These plants like slightly higher humidity levels than many other plants. You may need to raise the humidity levels in a room artificially by placing the plant in a humidity tray with pebbles or using a humidifier.
Propagation:	These are usually propagated by dividing the plant when it’s being re-potted in spring.