About
Alocasia sarawakensis is a large Bornean elephant-ear that grows only in freshwater swamp forest, unusually for an aroid.
Care at a glance
- Pet safety
- Toxic to cats, dogs and horses: calcium oxalate crystals irritate the mouth and gut. General guidance for the genus
- People
- Calcium oxalate crystals cause painful irritation of the lips, mouth and throat if eaten, possibly with nausea and vomiting; sap can cause contact dermatitis. General guidance for the genus
- Light
- Bright, well-lit positions.
- Water
- Moderate watering in the growing season, with weekly feeding.
- Temperature
- Does not tolerate extended periods below 10 °C (50 °F).
- 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
- Up to about 2.4 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.
Field notes
Morphology
Can reach about 2.4 m tall.
Distribution & habitat
Borneo, in well-lit freshwater swamp forest.
Cultivation notes
Hard to grow in Europe or North America: it will not tolerate long spells below 10 °C. In the growing season it needs moderate watering and weekly feeding. A cultivar, ‘Yucatan Princess’, is sold.
Habitat
- Altitude
- Not recorded
- Altitude class
- —
- Native to
- Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei
Cultivation
- Difficulty
- difficult
- Temperature
- Does not tolerate extended periods below 10 °C (50 °F).
Text adapted from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
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