How to Grow and Care for Alocasia X Amazonica (Amazonian Elephant’s Ear) Plants

Hailing from the famous Araceae family, the Alocasia x amazonica is a native of the tropical Asian regions.

You’ve probably already heard of the Amazonian elephant’s ear and how stunning it looks. Well, maintaining that visual appeal isn’t easy. You have to provide the ideal growing environment for the plant.

Here’s what to do to grow and care for the Elephant’s ear: use a proper soil mix that gives the roots room to breathe. The soil should be moist but not overwatered. 

For further growth, fertilize your plant every 2-4 weeks, and keep the pot in a warm environment (65-80℉) where it can receive indirect sunlight. If you abide by these rules, you’ll have a stunning Alocasia with striking leaves.

What Are Alocasia X Amazonica Plants?

The Alocasia x amazonica is a hybrid plant that belongs to a large, flowering family called the Araceae.

With dark green leaves and whitish veins, it’s become a popular houseplant that adds unique aesthetics to any house it sits in.

Besides its visual appeal, the Alocasia x amazonica is a versatile plant that doesn’t require much effort to grow.

If you provide a proper environment, it can grow 2 ft tall/wide and develop arrow-shaped leaves that look like elephants’ ears. Hence, the name “Amazonian elephant’s ear.”

Quick Summary of Alocasia X Amazonica

We’ve barely scratched the surface with the previous section. Let’s see what else there’s to know about this plant.

• Scientific name: Alocasia x amazonica
• Common names: Amazonian elephant’s ear
• Light: Bright, indirect light
• Watering: When the soil dries
• Temperature: 65-80℉
• Hardiness zone: 9-12
• Soil pH: Neutral or acidic
• Soil type: Moist, well-draining soil
• Repotting: Annual
• Pruning: During the growing season
• Size: It can grow to become 1-2 ft tall/wide
• Bloom time: Spring and summer
• Propagation: Division

How to Care for Alocasia X Amazonica Plants

Now that we’ve covered the basics, it’s time to delve into the nuances of caring for an Alocasia x amazonica.

It’s not that different from caring for any other tropical houseplant. You can start by using well-draining soil and placing the pot in a warm indoor spot with indirect sunlight.

Water it whenever the soil feels dry, and apply fertilizer every 2-4 weeks. Here’s the extended version of the growth instructions:

1. Provide Sunlight

Like most tropical plants, the Alocasia x amazonica needs bright, indirect light to develop healthy leaves. It can withstand direct sunlight for a short period if it’s not too intense.

A north-facing window would be the perfect location. If you want to place the plant in front of a south-facing window, keep it behind a sheer curtain.

You can tell your Alocasia isn’t receiving enough sunlight when the leaves/veins lose their color and the plant goes dormant. In that case, move it right away.

2. Mix Soil

Your soil should be rich, light, and acidic, but a neutral mix would work just as well. Ideally, you want to use soil that drains excess water but retains enough moisture to keep the plant hydrated.

Unfortunately, ready-made soil mixes with these qualities are somewhat rare. If you want to ensure your soil provides your Alocasia with the necessary nutrients, your best bet is to mix it yourself.

Don’t worry. It’s not rocket science. All you have to do is add one part potting mix, one part coconut coir, one part orchid bark, and ¼ part perlite.

Coconut coir and orchid bark aerate the soil, while perlite helps with drainage.

You can also combine one part potting mix, one part coarse sand, one part vermiculite, and one part fir bark. Vermiculite retains water, coarse sand improves drainage, and fir bark helps release moisture into the soil.

As you can see, these ingredients aren’t random. Each component contributes to making the perfect soil. So, don’t skip any of them, or your soil will do more harm than good.

If you don’t want to mix your own soil, though, we recommend going with Pray For Us from Oh Happy Plants.

It retains the right amount of moisture, gives the Alocasia room to breathe, and doesn’t include peat moss. So you don’t have to worry about potential environmental damage.

3. Add Water

Watering the Alocasia x amazonica is probably the most challenging part of the care routine, as they don’t have a specific watering schedule.

Ultimately, you want to keep the soil moist all the time, so water it as often as possible, especially during the growth season.

Don’t overdo it, though, as excess watering will suffocate the roots, causing root rot. You can always check the top two inches of the soil.

If it’s dry, add some water. If it’s still damp, then wait a few more days. Don’t wait until it completely dries out, or you’ll be risking dehydration.

If you’re a new plant owner, identifying if the soil is properly dry or not might be challenging. So, we recommend using a moisture meter to get an accurate reading of the soil’s moisture levels.

4. Control Temperature

The Alocasia x amazonica is a tropical plant. So, cold is its arch nemesis. It thrives in a warm environment, similar to that of its native tropical Asian land.

Ideally, you want to place your plant somewhere with temperatures ranging between 65-80℉.

5. Provide Fertilizer

On average, you want to fertilize your Alocasia once every 2-4 weeks during its growth season using a balanced diluted mix.

Helpful tip: Apply the fertilizer when the soil is damp so as not to burn the roots. 

How to Grow Alocasia X Amazonica Plants?

On rare occasions, these plants can produce seeds that you can plant to grow more Alocasias.

Start by retrieving the seeds, which isn’t as simple as it sounds. You see, they sit inside hard-shelled containers called pods.

You have to wait for these pods to dry and change color, as that indicates the seeds have matured. When they dry out, they’ll curl downwards. You can retrieve the seeds then.

Soak them in water to clean them off, and plant them in nutrient-rich soil with a generous layer of peat moss. Keep it moist, but don’t soak it to avoid root rot.

When the seedlings start appearing, which usually takes 90 days, move the pot to a spot with bright, indirect sunlight.

If your Alocasia outgrows its pot, transfer it to a new one that’s one or two inches larger. You don’t want to go bigger than that because a large pot can retain too much water.

How to Repot Alocasia X Amazonica Plants?

Alocasia amazonica plants usually take one or two years to outgrow their pot, although some can take several years.

You can tell it’s time to change the container when the plant stops growing or when you notice yellow spots on the leaves. Generally, the best season to repot the plant is during summer and spring because that’s when it’s at its strongest.

Don’t worry. The repotting process is as straightforward as it gets. Here’s what to do:

• Fill one-third of the new pot with potting mix, press it gently, and then add water to help it settle.
• Remove the plant from the old pot and check the roots for discoloration or warping. If the roots are warping, separate them with your fingers.
• Put the plant in the new pot and fill the rest of it with soil.
• Water the soil until the clear liquid seeps out of the drainage holes, then return the pot to its original location.

Helpful tip: Avoid clay pots because they dry the soil out faster than plastic.

How to Care for Alocasia X Amazonica Plants in All Seasons?

Like humans, Alocasias’ needs differ from one season to another. So, you have to change your caring routine depending on the climate.

For example, alocasias need extra care during winter, as tropical plants can’t tolerate cold climates. So, keep it somewhere warm to save it from frost damage.

We’ve already established you need to water your plant as much as possible during spring. However, you don’t have to water it as often during winter, as that’s when it enters dormancy.

You wouldn’t want someone to pour water on you while you’re sleeping, would you?

The same thing goes for fertilizing. Avoid it during the dormancy period to avoid potential damage. You might also want to expose the plant to less light then.

Although repotting Alocasias is inherently beneficial, we recommend doing it exclusively during spring, as it’s the plant’s growth season. It’ll settle and grow quicker than any other time.

How to Propagate Alocasia X Amazonica Plants? 

Division is the most effective propagation method for Alocasias. Think of it as an artificial form of asexual reproduction.

See Also

Chlorophytum Comosum “Bonnie” Care Guide

Luckily, you don’t have to be a phytologist to propagate plants. Here’s how to do it:

• Take the plant out of the pot, then shake as much of the soil off as possible.
• Cut a few pieces of the roots with scissors. You want them to be thick and about 10 cm long.
• Mix one part perlite and two parts peat-free compost, then put them in a few trays.
• Put one root cutting in each tray, and wait two weeks for them to start growing.

Helpful tip: Make sure to sanitize your scissors with rubbing alcohol before cutting the roots to avoid spreading bacterial infections.

What Family Do Alocasia X Amazonica Plants Belong To?

The Alocasia x amazonica belongs to the Araceae family. With 140 Araceae types and more than 4,000 species, this species belongs to one of the largest plant families in the world.

Not every Araceae species has the same look. They might share a few similarities, but they’re not identical.

Most members of that family contain calcium oxalate in their leaves, which helps form those unique sharp leaves. It’s also what makes the Alocasias toxic.

Consuming them causes vesicle formation, edema, dysphagia, and extreme throat/mouth stinging.

How Long Do Alocasia X Amazonica Plants Live For?

There isn’t a definitive answer to that question, as it depends on the surrounding environment. If you provide an ideal growing environment that caters to your plant’s needs, it might last more than two years. Without proper care, though, it may not last one year.

What Are Common Pest and Plant Diseases for Alocasia X Amazonica Plants?

Most Alocasia plants are susceptible to the same diseases and pests. Let’s see what they are.

Pests

The most troublesome pest-related threat to Alocasia amazonica is spider mites. They’re hard to detect because they’re too small, but you can identify them through the leaf discoloration they cause.

You see, spider mites absorb the sap from the leaves, leaving white and yellow marks that turn brown over time.

If you suspect your Alocasia has been a victim of a spider mite infestation, take it to the shower and spray every inch of it with water.

Diseases

As we’ve already established, the Alocasia amazonica’s soil should stay moist. Unfortunately, that prompts some people to over-water them.

So, it’s no wonder root rot is the most common disease among these plants. Luckily, treating root rot isn’t as complicated as it sounds.

All you have to do is remove the plant from the soil and cut all the affected roots, leaves, and stems. Place it back in the pot, and you’re done.

How to Tell If Alocasia X Amazonica Plant Is Not Growing?

If your Alocasia isn’t growing despite providing it with water and fertilizer, there are two potential causes. The roots might be dying because they’re not receiving the necessary nutrients, or the plant has gone dormant.

In both cases, you should lift the plant from the soil and check the roots. If they’re black, mushy, and smelly, they’re rotten. Your plant is either dead or about to die.

However, if they look normal, your Alocasia has gone dormant and will start regrowing after a couple of months.

Are Alocasia X Amazonica Plants Poisonous?

Besides humans, the oxalate crystals in Alocasias’ leaves are also poisonous to dogs and cats. They can cause irritation in the mouth, vomiting, swelling in the upper airway, and tissue penetration.

How to Help Alocasia X Amazonica to Grow?

If you suspect your Alocasia might be dying, there are several signs you can look for to make sure. Droopy leaves, stunted growth, and yellow marks on the leaves are indications your houseplant isn’t receiving the necessary nutrients.

In that case, you might want to change your care routine. Focus on using well-draining soil that gives the roots enough room to breathe.

Keep it moist, but don’t soak it, and move the plant to a spot with bright, indirect light. Et voila! Problem solved!

Wrapping Up

Now, you know everything there is about the Alocasia x amazonica plants. Despite their unique look, they’re not that different from other tropical plants, at least not in their environmental requirements and propagation routine.

They’re even susceptible to the same pests and diseases. So, make sure you’re providing a warm, nutrient-rich environment, and you’ll have a healthy plant that offers incredible aesthetics.