Alocasia

I’ve been a reluctant houseplant mother since taking a horticulture class in high school. We propagated a dozen or so cuttings and cared for them over the semester. At semester break I switched over to take a Botany class and the plants came with me, growing happily on the classroom window sill where I plunked them until the day before Summer vacation. It was then I realized I would be in Alaska for three months and frantically handed them out to various teachers and friends as end of year gifts. 

For twenty years I have been following this pattern. Pick up some stray plants here and there, grow them until they are big enough to have personalities, feel overwhelmed by the pressure of supporting another existence, rehome to pleased plant lovers. 

Then, last month? From across a crowded plant sale I spied my first Alocasia. “Hello beautiful,” I whispered, much to the confusion of the elderly man beside me. But alas, she was in the box of another and he wasn’t letting go. I snapped a picture and later in the car poured over houseplant websites until I found her: Alocasia Polly, or the African Mask Plant. I was smitten. 

We were on our way out of town for a few days and I found time to stop at several nurseries. At the first I found a cousin, Alocacia baginda; then another and another. Then a sad looking friend at Trader Joe’s with a nibbled on leaf. I did find my Polly, at a hardware store of all places, and my husband didn’t even sigh when he moved things around in the car so the girls wouldn’t be crowded. (Plant girls—the kid girls were stuck in the back row with the dog and dirty laundry bags.)

It turns out Alocasia have a reputation for being divas. They like their light just so; constant watering but only just enough or dear God I will drop this leaf dramatically; a soil mix of perlite(25%), coco core or orchid bark(25%), and enriched soil mix (50%), with a dash of fertilizer for flavor; and humidity. Lots of humidity. The thing is, I don’t think Alocasia are divas; they just have sensory issues and get freaked out when it is too bright. And they are water plants who want to soak in the bathtub listening to sociology podcasts for hours. 

I might be projecting, or perhaps I embrace that these are my spirit plants. Regardless, all my new plant friends are doing exceptionally well, unfurling new leaves, enjoying the kids’ Great Courses Plus series on Ancient Rome. It does appear that Alocasias may be moving from the “Hyperfocus” category to the “Hobby” column however, as I added three more varieties to my wishlist just this week. Oh well! We all need more friends, right?