Light
Bright indirect • approx. 10,000–20,000 lux
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Araceae
Alocasia 'Imperial Red'
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Every plant is hand‑picked for health and visual appeal, so you receive a strong, well‑established plant.
- Representative photos:
Product images show a typical plant of this variety. Natural differences in leaf number, shape or variegation are normal, your plant will still match in type and quality.
- Size details:
Listed sizes refer to pot diameter (cm) and approximate overall height (cm) from the base of the pot to the tallest leaf or stem.
- “Get What You See” items:
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- Individual photos:
One‑off photos are only provided when this is explicitly mentioned in the size section. - For special traits or small quirks, please check the full product description.
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Your new plant has just travelled a long way and needs a calm start in its new home. For step-by-step unboxing and first-week care, check our after-delivery care guide. For deeper tips on how your plant settles in over the next weeks, read our houseplant acclimatization guide.
- Care basics , Main hub with links to all houseplant care guides.
- After delivery & first week , Unpacking, first placement, and early recovery.
- Light, How much light houseplants really need indoors.
- Watering , When to water and how to avoid root rot.
- Substrates & roots, Potting mixes and drainage for strong root systems.
- Humidity, When humidity matters and what actually helps.
- Fertilizing, Simple feeding routine without burning roots.
- Problems & pests, Yellow leaves, brown tips, bugs, and fixes that work.
- Semi-hydro, How to run low-maintenance mineral substrates.
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Alocasia 'Imperial Red'
Quick Care Guide
Watering
Water when ~40–60% dry
Substrate
Aerated • Moisture-buffered • Balanced organic + mineral • Medium
Temperature
Ideal: 18–28 °C • Avoid below: 15 °C
Humidity
Moist 50–60 %
Growth habit
Upright clumping herbaceous perennial.
Support
not needed
Growth speed
Average
Max size indoors
Max. height: 120 cm • Max. spread: 100 cm
Toxicity & safety
Toxic
Origin & habitat
Horticultural hybrid of Alocasia odora × Alocasia macrorrhizos 'Pink Petiole'
Outdoor growing
Outside from 15 °C · sheltered spot
How to read these values
These care values are quick reference points for indoor growing. Use them as a guide, then adjust for pot size, substrate, temperature and how quickly the substrate dries.
For more detail, read the full product description or visit our Plant Care Guides.
- Light: level and approximate lux at leaf level.
- Watering: “% dry” shows how far the substrate should dry before watering again.
- Substrate: structure, drainage, moisture retention, base material and particle size.
- Temperature: “Ideal” shows the preferred range; “Avoid below” marks the cold-stress threshold.
- Humidity: target range; steady conditions usually matter more than exact numbers.
- Growth habit: how the plant grows, such as upright, climbing, trailing, clumping or rosette-forming.
- Support: whether a stake, pole or trellis is needed, optional or unnecessary.
- Growth speed: expected pace under suitable indoor conditions; use as a guide, not a promise.
- Max size indoors: realistic long-term indoor size under good conditions.
- Toxicity & safety: irritation, toxicity or physical hazards such as spines or bristles.
- Origin & habitat: native range, hybrid background or typical habitat where relevant.
- Outdoor growing: when a potted indoor plant can be placed outside and what outdoor protection it needs.
Alocasia 'Imperial Red'
Alocasia 'Imperial Red' is a large hybrid Alocasia with broad green leaves, sturdy petioles and red to burgundy tones most visible on the undersides and stems. With enough root room, it can produce larger elephant-ear-style leaves on thicker petioles.
Its parentage is Alocasia odora × Alocasia macrorrhizos 'Pink Petiole'. The cross produces a warm-growing plant with broad blades and upright petioles.
Broad foliage with red detail
- Foliage: Large green blades with colour contrast strongest below the leaf.
- Stems: Petioles can show red, pink or burgundy tones depending on maturity and growing conditions.
- Scale: With enough root room, warmth and feeding, it can produce larger leaves and thicker petioles.
- Hybrid background: Alocasia odora × Alocasia macrorrhizos 'Pink Petiole'.
- Breeding background: Bred by LariAnn Garner of Aroidia Research.
Aroidia hybrid background
Alocasia 'Imperial Red' was bred by LariAnn Garner of Aroidia Research, using Alocasia odora as one parent and Alocasia macrorrhizos 'Pink Petiole' as the other.
This is a larger-growing Alocasia with broad leaves, strong petioles and a root system that can fill a pot quickly. Give it space above the pot, a stable container and enough clear indirect light to keep the petioles firm. Repot once roots circle the container.
Active growth in the pot
Large active leaves use more water and nutrients than compact jewel-type Alocasia, especially in warm, bright conditions. Water thoroughly, but do not leave the pot sitting wet for days.
- Light: Use a large bright window or grow light. With clear indirect light, new leaves can come out larger and petioles may show more red; direct sun can scorch the blades.
- Watering: Water deeply once the upper few centimetres of mix begin to dry. Active plants may need shorter intervals in warm conditions.
- Substrate: Use a coarse aroid mix with bark, coco chips, pumice or perlite and a fertile moisture-holding component.
- Pot choice: Use a stable pot that balances the leaf mass while still matching the root ball.
- Temperature: Keep the plant warm, especially after watering. Around 20–30 °C, roots use water faster and new leaves form more easily.
- Humidity: Even humidity reduces dry margins and stuck edges on broad new leaves.
- Feeding: Feed at moderate strength during leaf production. Flush occasionally if salts collect in the mix.
- Repotting: Repot when the plant is actively growing. Move up gradually, because an oversized pot can stay wet around a small root ball.
- Propagation: Propagate by division, offsets or cormels when available. Wait for firm growth points and enough roots before separating.
- Mineral substrates: Established plants can adapt to inert mineral or semi-hydro substrates when the roots are firm, old organic mix is removed and temperatures stay warm.
Petiole colour and root health
- Leaning petioles: Rotate the pot and check whether the plant is reaching for a stronger light source.
- Yellowing after a cold spell: Inspect the lower mix and keep the root zone warmer before watering again.
- Brown edges: Review watering volume, humidity and fertiliser strength.
- Soft crown or stem base: Check the roots quickly. Large Alocasia can decline fast when cold, wet substrate stays around the base.
- Small new leaves: Move it to brighter filtered light, check whether roots have filled the pot, and feed only if the roots are firm.
- Pest marks: Check the undersides of broad leaves for mites and thrips during warm dry periods.
Flowering and mature size
Mature Alocasia 'Imperial Red' may produce a spathe and spadix like other aroids. Indoors, it usually holds broad leaves on red-toned petioles rather than flowering.
Handling broad leaves
Alocasia 'Imperial Red' has irritating sap and plant tissue. Keep broad leaves and cut stems away from pets and children, and wash your hands after pruning or division.
Red petioles behind Imperial Red
The genus name Alocasia refers back to Colocasia, a related aroid genus. 'Imperial Red' points to the red, pink or burgundy tones visible in the petioles and leaf undersides of mature plants.
Give it overhead space; mature plants can build broad leaves on tall, red-toned petioles.
Plant names, growth habits, natural habitats and indoor care guidance are checked against trusted botanical, habitat and horticultural references before publication.View our plant care resources and references.
Alocasia 'Imperial Red' FAQs – Hybrid Status, Size and Stem Colour
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