Last Updated on January 19, 2023 by Plant Mom Care
Alocasia plants are popular for their stunning and distinctive foliage. This perennial genus with tuberous or rhizomatous roots has broad cordate or arrowhead-shaped, textured leaves that can have either flat or wavy edges and have distinct cream-colored veining that provides good contrast against the deep green of the leaves.
These subtropical plants come from Asia and Australia and naturally grow underneath tree canopies, leading the genus to develop large leaves to soak up the light. Some varieties grow into huge plants with very large leaves.
Smaller varieties are more practical to keep and won’t take over your house if space is limited. Under the appropriate conditions, these plants will produce flowers with a spathe/spadix that are typically outshone by the show-stopping leaves.
Alocasia Bambino
This plant originates from Southeast Asia and has a compact and slow-growing habit. The beautiful glossy dark green arrowhead leaves have purple undersides and light-colored veins and are 7 inches long.
They are perfect for small apartments and desks or bedside tables. The flowers are insignificant when compared to the foliage.
- Light: Bright indirect lighting.
- Soil: Well-draining soil.
- Height: 12 inches tall.
- Growth Rate: slow.
Read Our Alocasia Bambino Plant Care Guide
Alocasia Azlanii
This is one of the rarest and prettiest Alocasias you’ll encounter. The main attraction of this plant is its cordate leaves that gradually unfurl as the plant becomes mature.
New juvenile leaves are green and have purple veins and turn chocolate-colored with red to dark purple veins, purple undersides, and thin bright green edges when mature.
- Light: bright, indirect lighting.
- Soil: soil that drains well.
- Height: 24 inches.
- Growth Rate: fast.
Read Our Alocasia Azlanii Care Guide
Alocasia Frydek
This perennial rhizomatous plant is endemic to Southeast Asia with a display of dark green velvety leaves and bright white veins. It has become popular over the years and is commonly kept as an indoor houseplant, although it can be grown outdoors in suitable climates.
Keeping this plant happy can take some effort, but its magnificent foliage makes the effort worth it. Flowering is rare with indoor plants but can occur with outdoor plants.
As the flowers are somewhat unremarkable compared to the foliage, many gardeners cut the flowers off to refocus the plant’s energy toward growing more leaves instead of flowering.
- Light: bright indirect lighting.
- Soil: well-draining soil
- Height: 2 feet.
- Growth Rate: fast.
Read Our Alocasia Frydek Care Guide
Alocasia Polly
This rhizomatous evergreen perennial hybrid is a distinctive foliage. It has waxy dark green leaves with thick cream-colored veins.
Its compact growth helps make it a striking addition to indoor spaces with its large arrowhead leaves. The wavy edges are outlined with light green or cream, contrasting starkly with the dark green foliage.
- Light: Bright indirect lighting.
- Soil: rich and well-drained soil.
- Height: 3 feet high
- Growth Rate: fast.
Read Our Alocasia Polly Care Guide
Alocasia Black Velvet
This plant makes a big impression when kept in small spaces. This beautiful dwarf is smaller and more slow-growing than many of its cousins, with ovate leaves containing a substantial amount of black coloration on their surface with rich purple-colored undersides and silver-white veins.
Since it’s a slow-grower, it is perfect for keeping in terrariums. While it will sometimes put out white flowers, they are not very striking as the foliage is its main attraction. This plant was previously rare and hard to find but is readily available now.
It needs some care and attention as it can lose its leaves or become dormant with improper care.
- Light: bright indirect lighting.
- Soil: well-aerated soil that drains well.
- Height: about 15 inches tall.
- Growth Rate: slow.
Read Our Alocasia Black Velvet Care Guide
Alocasia Zebrina
Unlike its cousins in the genus, this variety is prized for its amazing zebra-striped stems instead of its foliage. Endemic to the Philippines, this popular tropical houseplant can also grow outdoors in suitable climates. It is tricky to cultivate as it is very fussy with its growing conditions.
If you can handle the challenge, growing and caring for this plant indoors can be rewarding, adding some style to indoor spaces. Understanding the conditions the plant experiences in its natural environs and mimicking those conditions is key to keeping it happy and thriving. This plant also produces flowers.
- Light: Bright indirect lighting.
- Soil: rich and well-draining soil.
- Height: 3 feet tall.
- Growth Rate: fast.
Read Our Alocasia Zebrina Care Guide
Alocasia Cuprea var. Red Secret
This is a rare tropical plant to find for houseplant enthusiasts. Native to Borneo, the special thing about this plant is its colorful metallic look as the leaves feature color combinations of red, plum, and dark green.
The leaves first emerge as coppery-green and turn a darker color as they mature with beautiful maroon undersides. The leaves are stiff and look like plastic with a metallic sheen that adds to their exotic beauty.
- Light: bright indirect lighting.
- Soil: well-draining soil.
- Height: 12 – 18 inches tall.
- Growth Rate: slow.
Alocasia Cucullata (Hooded Dwarf)
This plant has earned this common name due to its large cordate leaves attached to slender stems that appear to wave in the slightest breeze. The leaves are dark green with a lovely glossy appearance.
The foliage is dense and grows bunched close together. This evergreen is durable and can grow outdoors or in indoor containers, often kept in hanging baskets in offices or homes.
- Light: Bright indirect lighting.
- Soil: Well-draining soil.
- Height: 18 – 36 inches tall.
- Growth Rate: fast
Alocasia Stingray
It’s very easy to see how this plant got the moniker “Stingray” with the “wings” and distinctive “tail” making the leaves look like green stingrays. It has a unique growth habit as new leaves emerge and split from previous leaves.
It can grow almost 15 feet and it’s from Southeast Asia. This plant does produce small flowers occasionally but this seldom happens and rarely for indoor plants. The flowers are rather insignificant and the beauty of this unique plant lies in the structure of its foliage.
- Light: Bright indirect lighting.
- Soil: Well-draining soil.
- Height: 3 – 4 feet tall indoors.
- Growth Rate: fast.
Alocasia Wentii
This rhizomatous plant has arrowhead leaves with a unique combination of colors – the leaf tops are glossy deep green with metallic purple-bronze undersides.
This hybrid of A. Gageana and A. Odora grows around 3 feet tall with 1-foot-long broad leaves. This outstanding combination makes it a favorite among many house plant enthusiasts.
- Light: Bright indirect lighting.
- Soil: Well-draining soil.
- Height: almost 3 feet tall.
- Growth Rate: slow
Alocasia Odora
This striking plant has beautiful enormous leaves that grow on strong stems. These leaves are like elephant ears, fairly similar to those of the Colocasia gigantea and taro. What sets this plant apart is that the leaves point upward, while the leaves of Colocasias point downward.
New leaves tend to be lime green, later turning green as they mature. The flowers are another attractive feature of this plant and come as a lovely pale peach spathe/spadix that gives off an attractive fragrance, which is more noticeable at night.
- Light: Bright indirect lighting.
- Soil: Well-draining soil.
- Height: 4 – 8 feet tall.
- Growth Rate: fast.
Alocasia Nebula
This rare and difficult plant to maintain will reward your efforts with thick, silvery, dark green leaves with remarkable veining. It appears wildly exotic and so too is caring for it.
The green cordate leaves get a silver-gray shade with patterned veins of dark gray or charcoal when mature. This unique silvery shade gives this plant a striking exotic look. The height of this shrubby mature plant ranges between 2 – 3 feet and the leaves are around 17 inches long and 8 inches wide. Each cordate leaf grows on erect lime-green stems.
This delicate and sensitive plant is vulnerable to diseases like stem and root rot, Xanthomonas, bacterial leaf spot, mealybugs, aphids, scale, and other pests. Perhaps these problems have something to do with its soft, delicate tissue and inappropriate care. It is more resistant to disease or pests if it is well-maintained.
- Light: Bright indirect lighting.
- Soil: Well-draining soil.
- Height: 2 – 3 feet high.
- Growth Rate: fast.
Alocasia Scalprum
This rhizomatous tropical plant has shiny dark green leaves with a rubbery or leathery texture and originates from the Philippines.
The leaves can grow 12 inches long. Young leaves are normally light-green with darker veins while the veins of mature leaves almost look embossed. The shiny leathery leaves lose this luster when they get old.
The white flowers are unspectacular and rarely appear. This plant can become dormant and lose all its leaves although it will resprout from its tuberous roots after dormancy.
- Light: Bright indirect lighting.
- Soil: Well-draining soil.
- Height: 12 inches tall
- Growth Rate: slow
Alocasia Infernalis
This native of Borneo is often called “Black Magic” because of its shiny, metallic, purple-black, reddish-colored oval leaves that deepen in color as it matures. This plant can grow 12 – 24 inches high. The leaves grow about 5 – 9 inches long.
- Light: Bright indirect lighting.
- Soil: Well-draining soil.
- Height: 12 – 24 inches tall.
- Growth Rate: slow.
Alocasia Brancifolia
This rare plant has arrow-shaped leaflets on leaves that grow 24 inches long, giving them a fern-like appearance. The leaflets are dissected and have prominent green veins and the leaves grow from a terrestrial rosette. This unique plant is endemic to New Guinea. The plant might produce a plain unimpressive inflorescence from the base.
- Light: Bright indirect lighting.
- Soil: well-draining soil.
- Height: 2 – 3 feet high.
- Growth Rate: slow