Alocasia 'Lukiwan' (alba × sinuata)

Where the parent species of Alocasia ‘Lukiwan’ grow naturally

The parents of Alocasia ‘Lukiwan’ come from different parts of Southeast Asia. Alocasia alba grows in Indonesian forest, along forest edges and beside rivers in sandy or stony ground; Alocasia sinuata comes from the Philippines, where its exact habitat is unknown.

Caring for Alocasia ‘Lukiwan’ (alba × sinuata)

• Light: Provide bright, filtered light; intense direct sun can scorch its textured foliage.
• Temperature: Maintain 22–28°C and preferably keep the plant above 18°C.
• Watering: Keep the root ball evenly and lightly moist. Water as the surface begins to lose moisture and let excess water escape freely.
• Humidity: Aim for at least 60%, with 70–80% providing particularly favourable conditions.
• Feeding: Apply a mild, balanced fertiliser when the plant is producing roots and leaves.
• Repotting: Keep it in a close-fitting pot and repot after the root system fills most of the container.
• Substrate: Use coir, bark and a generous amount of perlite or pumice. The mixture should balance reliable moisture with free drainage.
• Propagation: Separate established offsets or small corms; keep developing corms around 25–30°C with even, light moisture.
• Handling safety: Before repotting or unpotting, disturbing the root ball, cutting, pruning, division or propagation, wear gloves and keep Alocasia sap away from skin and eyes. After handling, wash hands and clean tools.

Leaf and root concerns for Alocasia ‘Lukiwan’ (alba × sinuata)

• Raised quilted leaf panels or new blisters appear: Firm bullate relief is normal. New translucent underside blisters that become corky support oedema; empty standing water, clear drainage, reduce prolonged saturation and improve gentle airflow.
• A yellow leaf appears with a soft base: Stop watering and empty standing water. If decline persists, wear gloves and keep sap away from skin and eyes before unpotting; after handling, wash hands and clean tools. Retain all firm roots and base tissue, remove only directly confirmed soft, dark, hollow, slimy or collapsing parts with disinfected tools, and use fresh airy medium in a clean draining pot sized to the surviving roots. Seek professional diagnosis before cutting an unclear or rapidly changing crown.
• Pale brown patches develop on the exposed side: Move the plant out of direct sun while retaining bright indirect light and acclimatise future increases gradually. Existing damage remains, so judge later growth.

Alocasia ‘Lukiwan’ (alba × sinuata): 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.

How ‘Lukiwan’ got its name

Wawan Santoso formed ‘Lukiwan’ from Luki, taken from his wife Luki Ani, and wan from Wawan.

‘Lukiwan’ is the hybrid Alocasia alba × Alocasia sinuata. Alba is Latin for “white”; Heinrich Wilhelm Schott described Alocasia alba in 1852 in Österreichisches Botanisches Wochenblatt, volume 2, page 59. Sinuata means “sinuous”, “curved” or “wavy”; Nicholas Edward Brown described Alocasia sinuata in 1885 in Gardeners’ Chronicle, new series, volume 24, page 678.