Alocasia chaii
Alocasia Chaii
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- Sold, 90 days
- 0
- Middle half
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- Last sold
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Cutting/cormNone
7cmNone
12cmNone
MatureNone
- Sale
- Typical
- Middle half
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Before you buy
- Check the corm is firm; a soft or shrunken corm indicates dehydration or rot and is very difficult to recover
- Verify there is at least one established leaf; avoid bare corms from unknown sellers unless you have experience germinating alocasia corms
- Spider mites are the most common pest: inspect leaf undersides for fine webbing or stippling, especially in dry indoor environments
- Alocasias can enter dormancy when stressed by shipping. A plant arriving with no leaves but a firm corm is not necessarily dead
About Alocasia chaii
Alocasia chaii is a compact, self-heading aroid species naturally found in the wet tropical forests of Borneo, specifically Sarawak. It thrives terrestrially or lithophytically on rainforest floors, rocky slopes, or limestone outcrops, preferring deep humus, high humidity, and filtered light. This species forms a basal corm from which erect, slightly arching petioles, deep maroon to purple in color, emerge. Its distinctive leaves are thick, heavily bullate, and strongly textured, ranging from narrowly ovate to lanceolate with pronounced central and lateral veins. The upper surface is a glossy dark green, contrasting with the deep maroon to purple undersides, giving the plant a rugged, sculptural, and jewel-like appearance.
Native range
Borneo (Sarawak)
Classification
- Genus
- Alocasia
- Family
- Araceae
- Type
- Wild
- Growth habit
- Compact, self-heading
Morphology
- Leaf shape
- Narrowly ovateEgg-shaped leaves, with the wider end near the base. to lanceolateLance-shaped leaves that are significantly longer than they are wide, tapering to a point at the tip.
- Leaf length
- 20-30 cm
- Leaf width
- 10-15 cm
- Petiole colour
- Deep maroon to purple
- Venation
- Pronounced central and lateral veins
- Texture
- Thick, heavily bullate and strongly textured
- Variegation
- None
- Growth habit
- Self-heading, compact
Alocasia chaii care
- Substrate
- Well-draining loamy mix: 40% potting compost, 30% perlite, 20% orchid bark, 10% worm castings. Alocasias need moisture retention unlike most aroids but still require good drainage.
- Watering
- Keep evenly moist during the growing season: never waterlogged, never bone dry. Check soil every 3–4 days in summer. Reduce significantly in winter when growth slows.
- Humidity
- 60–80%. Lower humidity causes brown leaf edges; very low humidity combined with dry compost will trigger dormancy.
- Feeding
- Balanced fertiliser at half strength every 2 weeks during spring and summer. Stop feeding in winter.
- Repotting
- Every 12–18 months in spring. Alocasias like being slightly snug in their pots, so don't overpot.
Common problems
Leaves yellowing and dropping
Cause: Overwatering, cold temperatures, or natural dormancy
Fix: Reduce watering; ensure temperatures stay above 16°C; dormancy is normal in winter
Brown leaf edges
Cause: Low humidity or irregular watering
Fix: Increase humidity and maintain consistent watering routine
Spider mites
Cause: Most common pest; thrive in hot, dry conditions
Fix: Mist regularly; treat with neem oil or insecticidal soap; increase humidity
Gear for this plant
- Flowers of Sulphur, 99.99% PurityDusted onto a fresh corm or rhizome cut to guard against rot before repotting.
- Precision Bonsai Pruning Scissors, 200mmFine-bladed snips for clean node cuts when taking a cutting.
- Humidity Dome, Heavy-Duty Germination KitVented propagation dome for holding humidity around fresh cuttings.
- Digital Hygrometer & ThermometerLCD humidity and temperature gauge for checking a grow spot against a plant's target range.
How to propagate Alocasia chaii
- Methods
- Offset (corm/pup), Corm division. Step-by-step guide
- Difficulty
- Easy. Forgiving of missed waterings, average home humidity, and imperfect light. A solid pick for beginners or low-fuss collections.
- Time to establish
- 3-6 months
- Notes
- Wait for the mother plant to produce corms or pups before dividing. Larger, well-established plants produce offsets most readily. Alocasias do not propagate reliably from stem cuttings.