face for a spectacular houseplant that really catches the oculus ? It ’s hard to go ill-timed with the genus Alocasia , especially a relatively recent cultivar fuck as Alocasia amazonica ‘ Polly ’ . All of the flair of its parent industrial plant , Alocasia amazonica , but in a more compact package stark for smaller spaces !
Keep register for everything you need to know about Alocasia amazonica ‘ Polly ’ plant care , with extensive acquire crest for helping this arum flourish indoors .
revealing : If you shop from my article or make a leverage through one of my contact , I may get direction on some of the products I recommend .
About Alocasia amazonica ‘Polly’
Natural habitat
As I remark in the institution , Alocasia amazonica ‘ Polly ’ is a cultivar . The more detailed version is that it ’s a assortment of Alocasia x amazonica . It was selectively bred to stay smaller than its parent plant — which , by the way , is n’t a rude species either .
Alocasia x amazonica is a hybrid produced by thwart two other Alocasia species : Alocasia watsoniana ( which is now more right get it on as Alocasia longiloba ‘ Watsoniana ’ ) and Alocasia sanderiana . It was bred in the fifties by Salvadore Mauro , a Florida glasshouse agriculturalist who owned the ( now defunct ) Amazon Nursery and named the new cross after his business .
All this intend is that technically speaking , Alocasia amazonica ‘ Polly ’ does n’t have a innate home ground , and it certainly did not originate in the Amazon or anywhere near it !
Still , knowing where a industrial plant came from severalize us a destiny about what it likes in the base , so permit ’s have a look at where its grandparents originated :
Description
It ’s not hard to see why so many houseplant enthusiasts are appeal to Alocasia amazonica ‘ Polly ’ . It in truth is a beautiful industrial plant and very easy to recognize from its leathery - search leaves . The foliage , which sprouts from a central corm , is quite spectacular : pointer - shaped and very dark fleeceable with lighter , creamy gullible midrib .
What makes ‘ Polly ’ dissimilar from its parent , Alocasia x amazonica , is its size . Like other elephant spike , Amazonica can be quite a large plant ( I ’ve experience some grow to be 3 1/2 feet or more ! ) , which makes it all the more spectacular but not idealistic for small spaces .
Horticulturists to the rescue : They selectively engender for smaller specimen ( a subgroup called the Jewel Alocasias ) , leading to the cultivar we now know as Alocasia amazonica ‘ Polly ’ .
Read more:23 Gorgeous Alocasia Varieties to produce at Home ( With Pictures )
Alocasia x amazonica varieties
There ’s only one Alocasia amazonica ‘ Polly ’ , but did you know that this is not the only cultivar produced through selective finish of its parent plant life , Alocasia x amazonica ? And that horticulturists have really produce yetmorecultivars using ‘ Polly ’ as a parent plant ? I almost need a flora family tree to keep data track of it all !
These are the diverseness I ’m aware of ( find destitute to touch me if you have one to add ):
Do n’t forget , there are quite a few Alocasia species and cultivar that look similar to the ace cite here . I used to own an Alocasia ‘ Sarian ’ , for example , whose leaves were not that different but which is an entirely different species !
Did you know?
Apparently , Alocasia amazonica ‘ Polly ’ was originally call in ‘ Poly ’ . This ended up commute to ‘ Polly ’ as the years passed and the plant became more popular .
Where to buy
Caring for Alocasia amazonica ‘Polly’
Light and temperature
When considering care component like light and temperature for your Alocasia amazonica ‘ Polly ’ , keep in psyche its grandparent ’ tropical rain forest home ground . coinage in the underwood do n’t have direct sun — taller Tree block out the strongest ray — but they are n’t in the darkness either . In the base , your plant will take account a windowsill spot with plentitude of brightness level , but not too much harsh sunlight .
Because the areas Alocasias by nature inhabit never experience much of a chill , they have n’t evolve to withstand the coldness . You ’ll have to keep yours warm in the home plate . elbow room temperature is ideal , although warmer wo n’t be an issue either . Just endeavor to keep the temperature above 65 ° farad to forestall your Alocasia amazonica ‘ Polly ’ from thinking it ’s time to go into hibernation .
Water and humidity
tropic rainforests are pretty humid places and that ’s incisively what Alocasia amazonica ‘ Polly ’ will demand in the home as well . Keep your flora ’s soil light moist at all clip , especially during the strong summertime months . you may let it dry out a petty further during wintertime , but never entirely .
When it occur to humidness , it can be helpful to expend a hygrometer ( humidness meter ) to visualise out whether you ’re dear or need to take action at law . It should take 50 percent or higher for a happy Alocasia . ( This is the hygrometerI use indoors . )
If it ’s significantly small , your plant can tolerate , so consider one or more of the following options :
Soil and planting
The genus Alocasia form part of the family Araceae , the aroid ( a group that include democratic houseplants likeSyngonium podophyllum , Monstera deliciosa , andRhaphidophora tetrasperma ) . The bulk of these plant prefer a light , well - draining stain type . Alocasia amazonica ‘ Polly ’ is no elision .
It really does n’t appreciate compact mixes , which prevent airwave from get to the roots and might not drain quickly enough . Sure , this cultivar likes its soil lightly moist , but that ’s not the same as soak wet : the medium should have excess water drain quickly to keep the corm from rotting .
Most houseplant enthusiasts report their Alocasias flourish best in special aroid soil , which may or may not contain potting grease .
Although you’re able to buy aroid soil from specialty plant shop class , it ’s also reasonably easy to make yourself with the correct ingredients . All you demand is something to retain a bit of moisture ( like sphagnum moss , potting soil , or coco coir ) paired with element that boost drainage ( like orchid bark , perlite , pumice fusain , etc . ) .
An example of an light mix could bepotting soil , barque , perlite , and sphagnum moss in adequate quantities .
As for the pure planter , you ’re beneficial as long as it has a drain hollow . This species is n’t too particular about corporation size , although you should repot to a larger container if the dirt starts dry out out too quickly or the roots pose out of the drain kettle of fish .
recommend product for Alocasia plant care :
Fertilizing
Alocasias like this one are n’t heavy tributary , but they still appreciate a boost from clock time to metre during the spring and summer growing month . you’re able to use a diluted regular houseplant fertiliser once a month during lachrymation .
Stop fertilizing during the winter months , if your Alocasia is n’t growing well or if it evidence signs of going dormant ( see more on that below ) . It wo n’t be able to take up the extra nutrients .
Recommended fertiliser for Alocasia :
Pruning
Your Alocasia amazonica ‘ Polly ’ broadly wo n’t need any pruning , except maybe to polish off the occasional tattered or dry out - up leaf . If your flora has grown too large for your gustatory sensation , you ’re skilful off get a spirit at the section on multiplication below !
Dividing or repotting
As mention before , you in all likelihood wo n’t have to repot your Alocasia amazonica ‘ Polly ’ too oft , at least not to a declamatory planter . The plant likes to be slightly potbound , so it only needs to be repotted once every few years , if want . Still , it does apprize some fresh soil from prison term to meter . Repotting is best done during the spring and summertime growing months .
During repotting , you may commonly choose to also split up an Alocasia . What wait like one plant above the stain can actually consist of multiple corms and clump , each with their own radical system . These can be potted up separately if you prefer multiple small plant over a single orotund one .
Propagating Alocasia amazonica ‘Polly’
Like all other Alocasia varieties ( includingAlocasia zebrinaandAlocasia ‘ Black Velvet ’ ) , ‘ Polly ’ farm from a central corm . That means , unfortunately , that it ’s not a campaigner for shank generation . air division is your best bet if you ’d like to multiply your flora .
fortunately , a mature Alocasia amazonica ‘ Polly ’ will commonly do most of the work for you : it grows in a clumping personal manner that should make it easy to take apart .
If you ’d like to divide your Alocasia amazonica ‘ Polly ’ , you could do so as follows :
How do you bring a dormant Alocasia back?
Alocasias , let in Alocasia amazonica ‘ Polly , ’ can go dormant . This is a protective reaction that go on if they ’re keep open too cold or dark . It can happen in winter if your windowsills run to get chilly !
A abeyant Alocasia amazonica ‘ Polly ’ will stop develop and most in all likelihood shed its foliage . It can terminate up reduced to nothing but a corm in the dirt , but that does n’t have in mind it ’s dead . Once thing warm up up in springtime , you’re able to seek to awake it up . If the corm is still firm , it ’ll likely come back fine .
Here ’s how you do it :
Keep this up , without hit it up the soil too much , and you should see the first signal of life within a few weeks .
Common questions about Alocasia amazonica ‘Polly’ care
How fast does Alocasia ‘Polly’ grow?
Alocasia ‘ Polly ’ is a tight - grow flora . On average , it grow one to two new leaves every month , though smaller flora may pop out a little more slowly .
How do you keep Alocasia leaves shiny?
Cleaning the leaf on your Alocasia flora not only keeps it looking good , it also removes junk andreduces plague like spider mite . The light way to bring on the refulgence is by cautiously wiping down the top and bottom of your leave with a diffuse , damp cloth .
Alocasias also appreciatetaking a tepid showerin the cesspool or bathtub a couple times a twelvemonth to cleanse their leaf of dust , dirt , dander , and other particles .
Can Alocasia ‘Polly’ go outside?
Absolutely , Alocasias thrive out of doors in warm climate . In the summertime , you could move your potted Alocasia plant alfresco in partial shade to dappled sun ( like under a spread over porch or tree canopy ) .
Just remember to make for it back inside if temperature dip below 65 ° F , and do n’t leave alone it out in lineal Sunday for too long ( which can burn the leave ) .
Is Alocasia amazonica ‘Polly’ toxic to cats and dogs?
Unfortunately , Alocasia amazonica ‘ Polly ’ control atomic number 20 oxalate crystals that cause a burning sensation when tinge , particularly in the sass . You should keep this plant away from pets and kids .
Sources :
https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/133707/98840843
https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:84195-1
