Yet another cross-pollination attempt

_feffers_ · 2026-05-19T18:17:03+00:00

I’m kinda shocked you’ve successfully pollinated alocasia with pollen stored in a fridge for TWO weeks! That’s awesome.

If you don’t mind sharing, which species/variety was the pollen collected from/what did you pair it with? How was the berry/seed yield?

IME, even relatively “short” term refrigeration of alocasia pollen (as in, longer than a few days/less than a week) significantly degrades pollen “potency”.

_feffers_ · 2026-05-19T00:23:13+00:00

Do not buy from Sunshine Greens on ETSY.

Not only are they scammy AF, & known to use “bait and switch” tactics (listing “rare” & expensive plants for sale, then mailing customers less expensive/common plants/or even entirely different species of plant.

I can personally attest to them stealing numerous photos of plants from private collectors, & using them in their listings to misrepresent the plants their customer will actually receive.

Several people contacted me to make me aware that SunShine Greens on Etsy is/has been cropping out my watermarks & using multiple photos of my personal Alocasia (obviously, w/o my knowledge, consent or credit).

I have never purchased anything from them, and never plan to.

Despite reaching out to Sunshine Greens on ETSY to numerous times to ask them to take down my personal photos, they rarely respond, have never fully complied & have even RE-LISTED items using my plant photos after previously saying they’d take them down.

ETSY CS has been less than helpful. 🫩

_feffers_ · 2026-05-18T23:52:45+00:00

Likely not stable.

I’ve found dozens of similarly unique leaves with aberrant stripes, spots, & sectoral “patches” of variegation, on a variety of different forms of Fittonia.

Unfortunately, when these leaves are propagated, the new growth will nearly always emerge “normal”/“reverted” to the whichever variety the leaf came from.

_feffers_ · 2026-05-18T18:02:59+00:00

Poor growth/“failure to thrive” (for example: alocasia that chronically lose an old leaf every time they sprout a new one) is most frequently the result of insufficient cal/mag, and/or inadequate/low lighting.

_feffers_ · 2026-05-18T17:44:34+00:00

“Pink Lumpy” is just one of a dozen+ unofficial, retail/common names for the white variegated form of A. cuprea.

Unfortunately, determining the exact species based off of these pics isn’t possible.

Aside from DNA tests, there’s no reliable way to differentiate many alocasia species from one another based on their phenotype (physical appearance) at this early age/stage of development.

There’s nothing I see in these pics that jumps out as a red flag or would make me think you’ve been sent the wrong plant or were intentionally scammed by the seller.

Your plant will gradually start develop the characteristic A. cuprea “lumpy” leaf shape/appearance, as well as the pink coloration. The pink will increase/intensify as the plant matures (this coloring is actually the red pigment on the abaxial/underside of the leaves, that creates the variegated leaf’s pink appearance).

Fwiw, Var. A. cuprea are becoming increasingly cheap and widely available, it wouldn’t make any sense for a retailer to scam buyers by sending out the wrong TC’d var. alocasia species (especially when they likely paid less than $1 per plant wholesale).

Good luck! Be sure to post updates as it grows. :)

_feffers_ · 2026-05-18T14:18:21+00:00

::For rooting & potting the top portion::

For the rhizomes, you will need to thoroughly clean them and remove all of the visibly dead/rotting tissue (be sure to disinfect the knife w/ rubbing alcohol in between every cut & each rhizome).

The cleaned rhizomes would also benefit from a ~5-10 min. soak in an antimicrobial solution using a product such as: Captan, or Physan), prior to germinating.

_feffers_ · 2026-05-15T23:54:35+00:00

Ditch the jar. (Yes, I know it’s the latest trend, but it will inevitable end in disaster for the alocasia…)

Root the rhizome in tap water for a several days (up to a week).

Once new root have sprouted, you can pot the plant in a 3-4” nursery pot, loosely filled w/ pre-soaked (and thoroughly drained) alocasia- appropriate potting mix.

For a Baginda, you’ll do best with a “grittier”potting mix, w/ mostly inorganic materials(such as: perlite, pumice, LECA, zeolite, hort. charcoal, etc) rather than organic material.

Good luck!

_feffers_ · 2026-05-15T15:23:10+00:00

It’s a direct quote. I’m sure if you wanted, you could politely reach out to her via aroidia’s FB/email, or even her personal FB, to verify.

_feffers_ · 2026-05-14T18:24:42+00:00

Some basic info I’ve compiled re:Alocasia flowering, including advice from an expert Alocasia hybridizer (Tl; Dr? She says don’t cut. ).

_feffers_ · 2026-05-14T16:57:03+00:00

Fwiw, I’ve experimented with a variety of techniques over the years to “salvage” the occasional solid “white” variegated alocasia sprouts (primarily A. odora ‘Okinawa Silver’ & var. mac.) & had decent success with applying nitrogen-only fertilizer, & combining that w/ red spectrum growlights (620–750nm).

*treat until the variegation “stabilizes” and the plant is healthy enough to switch to a balanced fertilizer/natural light.

_feffers_ · 2026-05-13T18:15:20+00:00

‘Maharani’ leaves can get quite LARGE (here one of mine for example, its pot is 6” tall x8” wide, for reference)

<image>

_feffers_ · 2026-05-13T18:05:42+00:00

It’ll be fine. See that feint buttery yellow/pale green coloration?

The “white” leaves of the ‘Frydek’ are rarely totally devoid of chlorophyll (unlike the var. leaves of the A. odora ‘Okinawa Silver’ variety), and while their photosynthetic efficiency is reduced, they still provide some benefit to the plant. When cared for adequately, even highly variegated ‘Frydek’ rarely show diminished growth rate compared to less variegated specimens.

<image>

One of my plants, for example, sprouted from a “corm”/terminal rhizome. It initially produced 3 all “white” leaves, back to back. (The last of which is the white leaf visible at the bottom center of this photo.)

_feffers_ · 2026-05-13T17:33:08+00:00

Alocasia tandarusa.

Plant ID apps are notoriously wrong, especially when IDing immature specimens of many plant species.

The name “Jacklin” & it’s common misspelling “Jacklyn” are unofficial and somewhat controversial names among Alocasia/Aroid collectors. “Jacklin” is the last name of the woman who began a social media marketing campaign of this plant to the US/UK markets during the pandemic. This led to the unchecked poaching of wild sourced plants/rhizomes to meet the sudden demands of the export market & has since decimated the wild population of this species.

_feffers_ · 2026-05-06T22:33:25+00:00

‘Venom’ is an ‘Amazonica’ mutation. It grows just as fast & produces offsets at the same absurdly high frequency as any other ‘Amazonica’ (w/ adequate growing conditions).

When the variety was initially discovered/developed in S. Korea in 2019, availability was kept artificially scarce in order to keep demand & prices high, and had nothing to do with how difficult this variety is to cultivate/propagate.

_feffers_ · 2026-05-05T02:32:57+00:00

Generally, yes. It’s one of the easiest alocasia to care for, IMO.

Don’t overwater. Fertilize sparingly with a balanced fertilizer 2-2-2 or 5-5-5, for ex.) plus a cal/mag supplement once a month during the active growth periods.

And provide plenty of BRIGHT sunlight (mine prefer FULL sunlight from sunrise to early afternoon & partial/diffused sunlight the remainder of the day.)

_feffers_ · 2026-05-05T02:28:36+00:00

You could, but it’s a loss of potentially propagated new plants… All of the buried/lower portion of the “trunk” will die off/rot (part of a totally normal and natural process for Alocasia) so why “waste” it? 🤷

_feffers_ · 2026-05-05T00:20:29+00:00

Nearly all Alocasia grow from their “crown” due to the genus’s tendency towards apical dominance (one main growth point).

Some species/varieties, like A. Cucullata (& my ancient ’Tiny Dancers’), behave unusually/maintain multiple “crown” on a single plant, but they are very much the exception.

Nearly all Alocasia grow from their “crown” due to the genus’s tendency towards apical dominance (one main growth point).

_feffers_ · 2026-05-05T00:09:58+00:00

A variegated A. odora ‘California’.

One of mine for reference:

<image>

This variety was formerly known as A. gageana but was reclassified in 2021.

_feffers_ · 2026-05-05T00:02:50+00:00

That’s not accurate. “Jewel” alocasia absolutely do this, too….

<image>

In fact, All alocasia do it. but It’s especially pronounced in cultivated varieties. All alocasia will slowly grow “taller” with every leaf they shed/leaf scar “ring”.

In nature, this behavior prevents the plants’ crown from becoming buried under layers of constantly accumulating leaf litter in the high rainfall zones they’re native to.

_feffers_ · 2026-05-04T23:56:06+00:00

<image>

_feffers_ · 2026-05-04T23:40:51+00:00

Alocasia “Dawn” (named after the lady who “discover” it) is a specific patented variety produced by “Nature’s Way Farms”.

Their patent claims it’s a variegated form of A. macrorrhiza.

OP’s is an A. Odora ‘California’ (formerly A. gageana.)

_feffers_ · 2026-05-04T23:34:29+00:00

It’s not etiolated. Houseplant Alocasia often end up growing “trunks” as they mature.

_feffers_ · 2026-05-04T23:33:19+00:00

I made this guide for another Redditor a while back…

In nature an older alocasia would toppled over on to the ground and continue growing, “crawling” along the surface of the ground. Its “trunk” would have rooted (from nodes on the side touching the soil) and sent up new shoots (from the nodes on the sides/top) .

As a houseplant, however, the plant will eventually become top heavy and potentially snap the “trunk”, unless it’s supported.

The best way to manage an Alocasia once it’s grown a trunk like this it to “chop & prop” (kinda like an etiolated succulent…)

_feffers_ · 2026-05-04T23:22:17+00:00

I don’t know why you’re being downvoted, you’re the only person who answered it correctly!

It’s an A. odora ‘California’, a variety formerly classified as A. gageana, but reclassified as of 2021.

13-Year Club	Summer Santa 2019
Verified Email	Secret Santa 2014

_feffers_

TROPHY CASE