Meet the Alocasia “Polly.” From the arrow shape of its
leaves, to its bold coloring, this plant is striking. It’s a hard plant to
ignore! It begs you to look at its cool veining and unique shape! These plants
naturally grow in tropical Southeast Asia, so the environment they are happiest
in is warm and humid with minimal sun exposure. They also appreciate being kept
moist, but never soggy. A pebble tray is a great idea with this plant!
Some of Alocasia Polly’s nicknames include: African Mask, Black shield, Dragon Plant, and Elephant’s Ear. This Alocasia tends to be a little picky. It loves warm and humid environments, and is medium difficulty. This simply means that it will need just a little more attention to thrive.
Quick Facts about the Alocasia Polly:
- Keep these plants moist, but never allow them to
get soggy (which can rot the roots).
- A great way to keep these plants moist, and allow them to get rid of excess water is to put them in a pebble tray. Simply fill a tray with rock, and add a small amount of water among the rocks.
- These plants do not like to be dried out
- Bright indirect light is this plants favorite,
but it will also tolerate medium light conditions.
- It’s important that your Alocasia Polly not receive much direct sunlight, which will scorch its leaves.
- However, you also want to make sure your Alocasia is not in too shady of a spot, which it also won’t tolerate well.
- Remember to wipe the leaves periodically with a wet rag so that too much dust does not collect.
- Humidity is important with this plant, so try to
give it as much humidity as possible!
- Consider using a small humidifier or even an essential oil diffuser (without the fragrance), to add extra humidity if your home is dry.
- This plant is poisonous to both people and pets. Keep this plant out of reach of curious eaters!