Alocasia zebrina

Alocasia zebrina is a terrestrial aroid native to the humid lowland forests of the Philippines, grown almost exclusively for its petioles rather than its leaf blades. Those elongated stems are pale yellow-green, barred with irregular dark brownish-purple to near-black bands that mimic the stripes of a zebra. The broad, sagittate leaves emerge held upright and outward from a compact corm-like base, giving the plant a sculptural, palm-like silhouette at maturity. Among aroids, zebrina occupies a distinct niche: distinctive enough to anchor a collection but forgiving enough to grow well in most warm, bright interiors.

Native range

Philippines (Luzon and surrounding islands)

Classification

Genus

Alocasia

Family

Araceae

Type

Wild

Growth habit

Self-heading, corm-forming

Morphology

Leaf shape

SagittateArrowhead-shaped leaves, with pointed lobes at the base pointing downwards. to hastateSpearhead-shaped leaves, with basal lobes pointing outward at right angles rather than downward. (arrowhead-shaped)

Leaf length

35-70 cm

Leaf width

20-45 cm

Petiole colour

Yellow-green with bold dark brown-purple banding

Venation

Prominent pale midrib, pinnateVeins or lobes arranged like a feather, branching out symmetrically on both sides of a single main central vein. lateral veins

Texture

Semi-glossy, coriaceous

Variegation

None

Growth habit

Upright rosette from compact corm