Alocasia reginae

Where Alocasia reginae grows naturally

Alocasia reginae is native to Borneo, where it grows on the lowland rainforest floor in moist soil near limestone outcrops. The canopy softens the light, and water drains quickly through the rocky ground.

Alocasia reginae: a practical care guide

• Light: Grow Alocasia reginae in bright, filtered light. Protect the thick, dark foliage from intense direct sunlight.
• Watering: Let about the upper half of the mix dry between waterings, while keeping the deeper root zone from drying out completely. Water thoroughly and allow full drainage.
• Humidity: Keep the air moderately humid at roughly 60–80%; steady conditions are especially helpful while its thick new leaves are expanding.
• Temperature: Maintain steady warmth around the plant and its roots. Protect the pot from cold surfaces and rapid temperature changes.
• Feeding: Feed lightly during active growth with a complete fertiliser. An occasional thorough rinse with plain water helps prevent salts building up around the roots.
• Substrate: Use a fine but porous mixture of coir-based potting mix, small bark and perlite or pumice. This suits the species’ compact root system and forest-floor background.
• Leaf care: Clean the leaves gently with a soft cloth or brush, following the texture of the surface.
• Pest checks: Inspect the leaf undersides and petiole bases for mites, thrips and mealybugs.
• Repotting: Keep Alocasia reginae in a snug container. Move up by one size once roots fill most of the pot.
• Propagation: Separate rooted offsets or cormels during active growth; keep small cormels warm in a lightly moist, airy propagation medium.
• 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.

Normal features and warning signs in Alocasia reginae

• Fine hairs and purple petiole spotting remain firm: The hairs on the petioles and lower main veins and the purple petiole spots are normal and need no action while unchanged.
• Several leaves yellow and wilt in damp substrate: Stop watering and empty standing water. If decline persists, wear gloves and keep sap away from skin and eyes before unpotting. Retain firm roots and rhizome tissue and remove only directly confirmed soft, brown, hollow, slimy or collapsing parts with disinfected tools. Repot surviving roots in fresh airy medium in a clean draining pot sized to them, then wash hands and clean tools. Seek professional diagnosis before cutting an unclear or soft rhizome.
• Pale speckling, greyed colour or webbing develops: Inspect leaf undersides and the hairs around veins for mites, eggs or webbing. Isolate the plant, rinse carefully and, if live mites or fresh damage remain, use a product labelled for spider mites and indoor ornamentals at the label interval.
• Tissue softens or dark wet-looking spots gain yellow borders: Isolate the plant, keep foliage dry, stop splashes and mark the edge. If one severely affected leaf must be removed, wear gloves and keep sap away from skin and eyes before cutting it with a disinfected tool; discard it, disinfect the tool again, then wash hands and clean tools. Recurrence, rapid spread or entry into the petiole, crown or base needs professional diagnosis.

Alocasia reginae: 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 reginae means

Reginae is Latin for “of the queen”. The royal name accompanied the plant’s introduction at the 1884 horticultural exposition in Saint Petersburg.

Nicholas Edward Brown first described Alocasia reginae in 1884 in Gardeners’ Chronicle, new series, volume 21, page 711.