Alocasia odora · Plant reference

About

Alocasia odora, the night-scented lily or Asian taro, is a large aroid of East and Southeast Asia whose flowers are fragrant at night.

Pet safety: Toxic to cats, dogs and horses: calcium oxalate crystals irritate the mouth and gut. General guidance for the genus
People: Raw leaves and stems contain calcium oxalate raphides that cause mouth and throat pain and stomach upset; never eat raw.

Light: Dappled sun or partial shade (2–6 hours of direct sun). General guidance for the genus
Water: Water regularly but avoid waterlogging; overwatering leads to root rot and yellowing leaves. General guidance for the genus
Temperature: Grows best with daytime temperatures of about 20–25 °C (68–77 °F). General guidance for the genus
Soil: Moist, well-drained, humus-rich, slightly acidic soil. General guidance for the genus
Propagation: Division of offsets. General guidance for the genus
Mature size: 0.5–1.6 m tall.
Hardiness: USDA zones 10a–12b. General guidance for the genus

“General guidance for the genus” marks advice sourced for the genus as a whole rather than this species.

Grows 0.5–1.6 m tall from corms 4–10 cm across. Large, light green, ovate leaves with a heart-shaped base sit on petioles 0.3–1 m long.

Japan, China, Taiwan, Indochina, Assam, Bangladesh and Borneo.

Leaves and stems are cooked as a vegetable in Southeast Asia, but the raw plant is inedible.

Named odora for its sweetly scented flowers, strongest at night. Used in Vietnamese folk medicine for colds.

Difficulty: Not recorded
Temperature: Grows best with daytime temperatures of about 20–25 °C (68–77 °F).