For a striking addition to your house plant collection, look no further than Alocasia zebrina. With dark green, arrow-shaped leaves and a black and white striped stem, it's quite the show-stopper. It's a relatively compact plant, reaching a height of up to 1m.
How to care for Alocasia zebrina
Like many of the plants we grow in our homes, Alocasia zebrina grows naturally in tropical climates. For plants from this part of the world, we need to attempt to simulate tropical conditions to the best of our ability, so make sure it's kept in a warm room, no colder than 15°c, and maintain high levels of humidity. You can do this by misting the plant regularly or alternatively put the pot on a tray of moist gravel and pebbles.
Water Alocasia zebrina regularly in the growing season, always checking the soil to ensure it's not sodden, as overwatering can cause root rot. If the top few centimetres of soil are damp, then you probably don't need to water the plant. It will also benefit from feed throughout the growing season, every two weeks throughout spring and summer.
Alocasia zebrina should be positioned in indirect, bright light. Direct sunlight could scorch the leaves, but as the plant requires a lot of light look out for straggly growth which could be a sign it is not getting enough. Do not worry if individual leaves fall off and die, this is a natural behaviour of Alocasia zebrina, which sheds old leaves to make room for fresh growth. This plant likes to be root-bound, so if re-potting be sure to only increase pot size gradually.
This plant can be prone to red spider mites and mealy bugs, so keep an eye out for these when caring for your plant.
For more advice on growing Alocasia zebrina , including troubleshooting and propagating, head over to our detailed guide to growing alocasia.
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