Written from the home-garden experience of Shami, who has grown plants for 8+ years in Malappuram, Kerala. All photos are our own.
This is one of the plants that makes a sitting room or a balcony look beautiful, and it's one of the best indoor plants I know. It doesn't like a lot of sunlight, it lasts a long time, and the leaves are the whole show. The leaves are so glossy that in bright light the plant looks artificial, as if it were made of plastic. You only understand the difference when you touch it.
What it's called
I know it as Alocasia amazonica, or African mask, and it's also called the elephant ear plant. Despite the names, it isn't from Africa or the Amazon. It's a hybrid made by crossing Asian Alocasia species, and 'Polly' is a more compact selection of the same hybrid. The plant doesn't grow as big as a real elephant ear, but the leaf shape is similar, and that's where the name comes from.
What makes it unique is the pattern: a zig-zag shape at the edges of the leaves, and a white pattern running through the centre.
A note on safety
I've read that the leaves have a bit of poison in them, and that's correct. Like other plants in the arum family, alocasia contains calcium oxalate crystals, which irritate the mouth and can irritate skin. It's considered toxic to pets and children if chewed. If you have pets or children at home, keep it where they can't reach it, and wash your hands after handling it.
Give it time to fill out
When the plant is young and has only 2 to 3 leaves, it doesn't look that good. Wait until the pot is full of leaves with no gaps between them, and then you can see the real beauty of this plant.
One negative I've found: as the plant grows, the stem goes up and the leaves get bigger and bigger, until the stem can't take the weight and bends. What I do is push a stick in beside the stem for stability.
Potting mix and pot size
The mix needs to let water flow through it easily. I use:
- A little compost or cow dung powder
- Coconut husk (coco peat)
- Soil
- Dry leaves at the very bottom, filling about a quarter of the pot. This gives the roots room to grow and helps the water flow.
I use a 10 to 12 inch pot for it. The reason I use a big pot is that the plant gets more leaves, and thicker ones, and I like the look of it that way.
Light: bright, but not much direct sun
It loves bright light, but it doesn't need a lot of it. Make sure it doesn't get the noon sun. Morning and evening sunlight is better for it. If you keep it in complete shade, the white pattern on the leaves fades, so it needs a bit of bright light to develop its full pattern and beauty.
Through the seasons
Summer, which here is roughly March to May, is the best season for this plant. In the cooler months, around December to February, its growth stops. In the rainy season, make sure the water isn't overflowing or too much, because too much water makes the leaves die.
Watering
This plant likes soil that stays moist, but the water shouldn't stay sitting in the pot. I water it about once in 2 days. Because it doesn't get much sunlight, the moisture stays in the soil for about 2 days.
Feeding
Any nitrogen-rich fertilizer once a month helps the leaves get shinier. I prefer organic ones, and I use:
- Cow dung powder, or raw cow dung mixed in water and diluted
- Vermicompost, mixed in water
If you don't have any of those, you can mix 1 spoon of NPK 19:19:19 into 1 litre of water and spray it. I don't use that one often.
Pests
Grasshoppers sometimes attack this plant. I mix a spoon of neem oil and 2 to 3 drops of shampoo in a glass of water, dilute that into 1 litre of water, and spray it on the plant. I use this on many plants, and it has given me very good results.
Making new plants
Small plants at the side: you'll see many small plants beside the parent. Pick them out slowly and plant them in a new pot, taking care not to harm the roots.
The rhizome: this plant has a rhizome, a bulb-like or ginger-like part, and new shoots come from it. You can plant the whole rhizome, or even cut it in half, and you'll see a new plant come up.
In water: I've heard that the rhizome can be rooted in water, but I didn't get good results when I tried it. If you try it, don't keep it as a water plant. As soon as you see roots coming, move it into a pot with the potting mix above.