Light
Bright indirect • approx. 10,000–20,000 lux
Araceae
Alocasia princeps 'Purple cloak'
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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.
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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 princeps 'Purple cloak'
Quick Care Guide
Watering
Water when ~20–30% dry
Substrate
Aerated • Moisture-buffered • Balanced organic + mineral • Medium
Temperature
Ideal: 18–29 °C • Avoid below: 15 °C
Humidity
Humid 60–80 % +
Growth habit
Upright clumping herbaceous perennial.
Support
not needed
Growth speed
Average
Max size indoors
Max. height: 120 cm • Max. spread: 90 cm
Toxicity & safety
Toxic
Origin & habitat
Cultivar of Alocasia princeps; species native to Borneo
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 princeps 'Purple Cloak'
Alocasia princeps 'Purple Cloak' is a cultivated form of Alocasia princeps with angular leathery leaves and deeper purple tones on the undersides and petioles. The upper leaf surface can read dark green to silver-green depending on the leaf and growing conditions, while the reverse brings the richer colour.
Its growth stays close to the parent species: upright petioles, triangular blades and a rhizomatous base that needs warmth, humidity and a very open substrate. Colour depth can vary between leaves, with the strongest effect often visible when the leaf is viewed from below or from the side.
Purple undersides and angular princeps leaves
- Leaf shape: Triangular to hastate blades with an angular outline and leathery texture.
- Upper surface: Dark green to silver-green tones, depending on leaf maturity and individual growth.
- Undersides: Purple to purple-red colouring beneath the blades.
- Petiole colour: Dark petioles with purple-red tones, especially on stronger growth.
- Growth habit: Upright and rhizomatous, with leaves carried on firm petioles from the base.
- Colour variation: Purple intensity can shift from leaf to leaf.
Bornean species structure in cultivation
Alocasia princeps is a Bornean species associated with well-drained rainforest slopes and ridgetops. Alocasia princeps 'Purple Cloak' keeps the triangular leaf shape and rhizomatous growth of the species, with purple colouring adding depth to the leaf undersides and petioles.
Care for Alocasia princeps 'Purple Cloak'
- Light: Place in bright filtered light. Direct sun can scorch the leaf surface and mark young growth.
- Watering: Keep the mix lightly moist, then let the upper layer begin drying before the next watering.
- Substrate: Use an airy aroid mix with bark and mineral particles to keep oxygen around the rhizome.
- Humidity: Higher humidity reduces stuck leaves and dry edges on the angular blades.
- Temperature: Keep warm and avoid cold, wet substrate, especially after watering.
- Placement: Give the leaves room to open so the coloured undersides are not damaged during unfurling.
- Feeding: Feed lightly in active growth with a balanced fertiliser applied to moist substrate.
Colour, edges and root-zone problems
- Soft base or yellowing leaves: Check for cold roots, compact substrate or water sitting around the rhizome.
- Scorched leaf surface: Move away from direct sun or an intense grow light positioned too close.
- Muted colour on one leaf: Colour varies naturally from leaf to leaf; keep the plant in bright filtered light.
- Dry edges: Review humidity, watering consistency and airflow around the plant.
- Pests: Check petiole joints, undersides and new growth for spider mites, mealybugs and aphids.
Safety
Alocasia princeps 'Purple Cloak' contains calcium oxalate crystals. Keep it away from pets and children, and avoid contact with sap from cut or damaged leaves.
Princeps name notes
The genus name Alocasia comes from Greek a-, meaning not or without, and Colocasia, a related aroid genus. The parent species, Alocasia princeps, is an accepted Bornean Alocasia with leathery triangular leaves, and the epithet princeps means first, chief or foremost in Latin.
The purple-backed leaves and dark petioles give Alocasia princeps 'Purple Cloak' a darker colour range while keeping the compact, rhizomatous structure of the species.
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.
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Alocasia princeps 'Purple cloak'
Sale price€85,00
FAQs about Alocasia princeps 'Purple Cloak' – dark undersides, light, and home growing
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