Alocasia baginda ‘Silver Dragon’

Origin of Alocasia baginda ‘Silver Dragon’

‘Silver Dragon’ is a cultivar of Alocasia baginda, a species from eastern Kalimantan on Borneo. Its habitat within eastern Kalimantan is unknown.

Care for Alocasia baginda ‘Silver Dragon’

• Growth rhythm: When new leaf growth slows or pauses, let the mix dry a little further between waterings and pause feeding until fresh growth resumes.
• Potting mix: Choose a loose mix that stays slightly moist but lets excess water drain away.
• Watering: Let the upper part of the compact mix dry a little, then water before the mix around the roots dries through. Wet the full root ball and let it drain freely, with no water left standing in the saucer or outer pot.
• Light: Place ‘Silver Dragon’ in bright filtered light, away from long periods of strong direct sun.
• Humidity: Maintain ambient humidity at roughly 60–80% where practical. Allow gentle circulation around new growth.
• Temperature: ‘Silver Dragon’ grows steadily at about 18–28 °C. Use a warmer location when prolonged temperatures threaten to fall below 15 °C.
• Repotting: Keep it in a relatively small pot and move up only when the roots need more room. Its naturally slow growth needs only light feeding during active growth.
• Propagation: Separate a basal shoot once it has roots of its own and establish it in a separate pot. Plant each division separately, keeping it warm until new independent growth starts.

Solving problems with Alocasia baginda ‘Silver Dragon’

• Flat pale or tan patches appear on the side receiving the strongest light: Pull the plant back from direct sun or hot window glass. Existing scorch will remain, but the patches should stop spreading once the exposure is corrected.
• Fresh leaves open with scraped-looking marks or tiny black dots: Check the folded growth for thrips. Move the plant away from others if you find them. Use a treatment labelled for thrips on indoor ornamental plants, and repeat it only as directed on the label.
• Brown edges keep returning even though the root ball is not drying excessively: Check how much fertiliser is being used and whether minerals are building up in the potting mix. Flush the mix thoroughly and reduce heavy feeding, then watch later leaves.
• Lower leaves start yellowing and drooping while the pot remains unusually heavy: Stop watering for now and check the roots. If they fill only a small part of the container, move the plant into a smaller pot with fresh, airy mix. Keep every firm root and remove only those that are clearly rotten.

Alocasia baginda ‘Silver Dragon’: toxic if chewed

• Pets: This Alocasia is toxic to cats and dogs. Keep the plant and any cut pieces where pets cannot chew them.
• Children and handling: Keep it out of reach of children. Sap from damaged tissue can irritate skin and eyes, so wash your hands after pruning and avoid touching your face.
• Why it irritates: Alocasia tissue contains insoluble calcium oxalate crystals. Chewing or contact with sensitive tissue can cause immediate local irritation.
• Possible symptoms: Mouth exposure can cause burning pain, drooling, swelling, nausea or vomiting, and difficulty swallowing.
• After exposure: For a pet, contact a veterinarian. For a person, remove any plant material from the mouth and rinse with water; seek medical or poison-control advice if symptoms are significant. Breathing difficulty or rapidly increasing swelling needs urgent medical attention.

What baginda means in Silver Dragon

In Indonesian usage, baginda is a respectful royal form of address, carrying the sense of “king” or “majesty”.

Agung Kurniawan and Peter Charles Boyce first described Alocasia baginda in 2011 in Acta Phytotaxonomica et Geobotanica, volume 61, page 123.