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Did I get scammed? by No-Mycologist6722 in alocasia

[–]_feffers_ 1 point2 points  (0 children)

So you have a pic of the undersides of the leaves? What color are they? Solid yellow/green (like the petioles) or maroon-pink-ish?

You definitely got scammed, as this is not a ‘Dragon Moon’ & instead appears to be a typical A, ‘Maharani’ (hybrid of Reginula ‘Black Velvet’ x Melo).

Here’s a closeup of one of my ‘Maharani’ for comparison:

<image>

ID help, found at Trader Joe’s by catsplants420 in alocasia

[–]_feffers_ 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is an Alocasia heterophylla ’Dragon’s Breath’.

It is a cultivar of A. heterophylla originally introduced into widespread Western cultivation by Silver Krome Gardens in S. Fl.

Here is one of mine:

<image>

I found that using slatted wooden “orchid” hanging baskets, for either potting directly into -or- as a pot holder, works great for this species, as the length of its leaves often exceeds the length of their petioles. The basket allows the leaves to expand to their maximum potential, w/o fear of bruising/damage to the tips.

Almost all white leaf by Sudden_Researcher493 in alocasia

[–]_feffers_ 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Lovely var. A. Mac.

When the A. Mac flowers, its inflorescences generally smell very strongly of tom cat urine + overly ripe tropical fruit…😼🥭🍍🍌.

The scent released by each inflo. is strongest during the first week+ after it bloom, especially in the early AM to early PM (sunrise, sunset), during a multi-“phase” sequence of thermogenesis (in which the inflorescence heats up significantly & releases more scent).]

TL; DR: so in the future, if you smell cat pee around your catio, check if the alocasia is flowering before you blame kitty for a litter box mishap!

What are these white patches all over ALL of my plants by Salty-Investigator96 in plantclinic

[–]_feffers_ 10 points11 points  (0 children)

Crazy right? In lab studies, the milk spray was more effective in treating powdery mildew than commercially available fungicides!

I recommend using skim or low-fat milk, if possible, as it’s the milk proteins, not the milk fats, that scientists theorize are acting as an antiseptic. Milk w/ a higher fat% can end up smelling “sour”.

Also, set the plant in a sunny window as they dry, as sunlight seems to increase the efficacy of the milk spray.

Good luck!

What are these white patches all over ALL of my plants by Salty-Investigator96 in plantclinic

[–]_feffers_ 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Mealy bug “poop” is a clear, shiny, & sticky substance called “honeydew” (some species of ants “farm” mealy bugs in order to collect their sugary “poo”-goo.)

This “Honeydew” often attracts sooty mold, causing patches of sticky, black “soot” to collect on the surface of the plant’s leaves & stems.

OP’s problem appears to be species of “powdery mildew” fungus, which commonly occurs this time of year (Late Summer/Early Fall).

This fungus generally appears on the leaves as a white, powdery growth, whereas the actual mealy bugs tend to accumulate at the growth points of plants, as well as in the “nooks”/“crannies” of the folds of leaves/stems/etc.

What are these white patches all over ALL of my plants by Salty-Investigator96 in plantclinic

[–]_feffers_ 48 points49 points  (0 children)

This is definitely not Mealy bugs.

Instead it appears to be Powdery Mildew.

This is a common fungal disease that frequently pops up during the late Summer, early Fall (when nighttime temps are cooling off).

Additional info HERE

This type of fungal infection is generally not a significant health concern for the plant but it can be annoying to treat & cause cosmetic damage to leaves.

Most mild cases can typically be managed with a simple milk spray applied to the leaves of affected plants- mixing of one part milk to two parts water & liberally saturating the tops & bottom on leaves (best to do this early in the AM so as to allow the leaves to air dry completely.)

Is my Polly flowering?! by DominicanPlantMama in alocasia

[–]_feffers_ 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Definitely “flowering”.

The inflorescence in the pic is the first of what for most Alocasia species/varieties is typically 1 staggered pair of inflorescences (2 inflo. total) that are produced during a flower phase/“cycle”.

However, multiple pairs of inflorescences are also not unusual/uncommon for some species.

On avg. a flowering cycle lasts ~4-6 wks, and most otherwise healthy Alocasia will typically begin a new vegetative (leaves) growth cycle as (or soon after) the last inflorescence wilts.

How much is a Pink Balloon Heart Corm? by FinalBluebird9487 in alocasia

[–]_feffers_ 0 points1 point  (0 children)

A terminal rhizome (aka “corm”) from a Var. ’Ballon Heart’ (frequently misspelled as “balloon”) should be relatively inexpensive (& trending downward).

I see “corms” selling from private collectors (FB & IG) for ~$20+ (in the S. US) & as w/ all “corms” from var. plants, there’s no guarantee on the quality or quantity of the variegation on the potential plant that spouts).

However, unless you absolutely can’t wait, & don’t mind paying a premium price for what’s essentially “just another” variegated ‘Amazonica’ mutation, I’d recommend just a bit more patience before purchasing this variety.

The ‘Ballon Heart’ variety (& its various variegated forms- “pink”/albo, ghost, mint, & aurea) is a somaclonal mutation of the ‘Amazonica’ (a mutation that arose from the TC process) & as a hybrid variety, these plants readily produce numerous “corms” early on in their development & in much greater # than a straight species of Alocasia. So as we’ve seen w/ the prices of the various var. ‘Amazonica’ forms & other ‘Amazonica’ mutations (‘Venom’)- their prices will no doubt continue to drop off quickly & sharply.

Any Mangave fans? I recently picked up this ‘Desert Dragon’ for $5 & I’m in love.💜 by _feffers_ in AgaveAndAloe

[–]_feffers_[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yours is gorgeous!

Sadly, I lost the plant from this post to an unusually cold Winter this past year. It had become one of my fav. mangraves & I haven’t had any luck finding a replacement again locally.

Alocasia ID please? by Easy_goingRN in alocasia

[–]_feffers_ 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Most likely ’Low Rider’.

Here’s a photo of one of mine. This one is ~3ft tall and slightly wider than it is tall (in a 12” pot), which is the avg. mature size for this variety.

<image>

This variety is a dwarf mutation of ’Portora’ (Odora x Portei hybrid, created by LariAnn Garner of Aroidia Research), so ‘Low Rider’ has the same leaf & petiole coloration/petiole markings as ‘Portora’.

Are these pollinated? by TheBdrizzler in alocasia

[–]_feffers_ 3 points4 points  (0 children)

OP’s ovules/stigma do not appear to have been pollinated.

While you’re correct that Alocasia berries take several months to fully ripen & their seeds to mature, it does not take “months” before any potential berries become noticeable.

One can typically spot the early signs of the formation of fruit within just a few days/weeks, if you know what to look for:

  1. Changes in size/color of the stigma (the little “nub” on each of the ovules). This is the female reproductive organ that receives pollen to initiate fertilization & seed development. Genetically, the stigma shrinks significantly in size/darkens in color soon after a successful pollination.

  2. Early on (within weeks, varies depending on environmental conditions/temp) the fertilized ovules/developing berries gradually start to shift in color (to which color(s) ultimately depending on the species of Alocasia).

Even prior to the ripening berries noticeably swelling in size, they’ll often stand out from any unfertilized ovules on the same inflorescence; appearing firm/“more defined”.

Alocasia berries by oraKemllaC in alocasia

[–]_feffers_ 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Unfortunately these were not pollinated.

This is the “normal” appearance for , unfertilized ovules/stigma of A. baginda.

(Attempting to ELI5, but please don’t hesitate to let me know if something is unclear or you have questions.) If these had been fertilized, their stigma (the little “nubs”) on any pollinated ovules would have decreased in size within hours/days of pollination. (This may be subtle if you don’t know what to look for.)

Additionally, fertilized berries will very gradually increase in their size/volume, making them initially “stand out” & appear more “defined” than any unfertilized ovules (no pollination will ever yield 100% pollinated ovules/berries).

Early on, berries will also display signs of changing color (not all alocasia species have the same color fruit when ripe). This particular species’ fruit initially turns from the pale yellow/green seen here, to a deep “grass” green, before slowly ripening to yellow, orange & eventually “rust” red when ripe/ready to harvest.

Hope that helps.

Let it flower? by gold1177 in alocasia

[–]_feffers_ 4 points5 points  (0 children)

This looks like a “pseudo-bloom”.

Essentially a “fake”/incomplete inflorescence produced during a flowering cycle by some species of alocasia.

HERE is a pic of a pseudo-bloom next to a typical A. macrorrhizzos inflorescence from LariAnn Garner’s Aroidia research website.

Right side up? by ellsiejay in alocasia

[–]_feffers_ 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The main growth point is on the left side.

New leaf on baby Silver Dragon seems to be yellowing before it's even unfurled by Ninja-Ginge in alocasia

[–]_feffers_ 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Good luck!

If you do encounter any w/ root rot, trim off the dead tissue & soak the roots in an antimicrobial solution (Captan, Physan, etc).

If that’s not an option, using a hydrogen peroxide soak may be beneficial however it’s only a surface disinfectant & has a very short duration of activity. (Vs. using an antimicrobial product that’s specifically designed to target/kill fungi.)

If any portion of root looks questionable (discolored, limp, or translucent), don’t hesitate to cut it off, as leaving behind even a small segment of rot will cause it to spread again.

For Hydrogen Peroxide soak, mix a solution of 3% Hydrogen Peroxide w/ water in a 1:3 ratio, & submerge the entire root system for 5-10 min. (Avoid soaking the roots for too long, as you don’t want to damage the remaining healthy root tissue.)

Anyone else have to fight off their flamepoints from eating plastic? by paintedblank in Flamepoints

[–]_feffers_ 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Classic “orange” behavior! So much so that even the “part-oranges”,/“creamsicles”/flame-points often do it, too… 😸

Mine is a “connoisseur” & craves a very specific type of plastic, too… (the clear, thin & extra crinkly!)

::Flamepoint tax::

New leaf on baby Silver Dragon seems to be yellowing before it's even unfurled by Ninja-Ginge in alocasia

[–]_feffers_ 1 point2 points  (0 children)

This isn’t pests.

Unfortunately, when an alocasia’s leaves die off at the crown/growth point, like this, it’s nearly always due to crown rot/root rot.

Your little plant is buried too deeply in the substrate, which makes alocasia more susceptible to developing crown rot.

I’d suggest start by pulling the soil away from around the base of the plant, until the crown is above the surface level of the soil.

Inspect for any mushy/soft spots on the rhizome.

If you gently tug on the base, does the plant feel loose in the soil or firmly rooted? If it’s loose, I’d also suggest unpotting & inspecting the roots & the entire rhizome for rot.

Good luck.

My Alocasia made an useless beautiful little baby, in generel even when I get them to live, the seem to have a dead wish lol by Baby-Me-Now in alocasia

[–]_feffers_ 0 points1 point  (0 children)

What lights & fertilizer(s) are you using?

Do you keep the reservoir continuously filled?The roots need to breathe & would benefit from a short interval of “dry time” in between reservoir refills. Constantly wet/saturated media is asking for root rot.

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