Q:
I live in a cottage at Messiah Village, and except for hanging baskets and a few perennials, I have become an inside gardener (mainly African violets, philodendra, several floor plants, etc.) I bought something on sale after Christmas called an "elephant ear" or Alocasia. It was with the houseplants, however, my research shows it as an outside plant. Can I keep it as a houseplant? If I plant it outside, must I bring it in each fall?
A: Alocasia (a.k.a. elephant ear or African mask plant) is a big-leafed tropical that's usually grown as an outdoor summer plant around here. However, it'll also work as a potted plant that you can grow inside or use as a houseplant in cold weather and then move outside in summer.
The leaves won't get quite as big inside in a pot as outside in the ground, but alocasia is still an impressive specimen.
The plant grows from a bulb. To grow it as a houseplant, start with a large pot (14- to 18-inch would be good), fill it about three-quarters full with a light-weight potting mix, and plant the bulb with the root side down about 8 inches deep.
A bright spot is ideal, although the plant also will grow in medium indoor light. If you've got a really bright window with direct sun and notice that the leaves are bleaching in color or getting brown around the edges, move to a slightly dimmer spot.
If anything's going to go wrong, it'll be overwatering. Don't use heavy potting soil and consider lightening what you do use with a little extra perlite, coarse sand or coir.
If you're using a pot without holes, be careful not to water so much that the soil becomes soggy. Otherwise, place a saucer under a pot with drainage holes so you don't water your carpet! The goal is to keep the soil consistently damp but never bone dry or soggy.
Another issue you might run into is that your alocasia probably will try to go dormant at the end of the growing season – even inside. In its native environment, the plant dies back and "rests" for a couple of months before starting a new cycle.
In your case, when the plant dies back, just cut off the dead foliage and stop watering. Wait about 8 or 10 weeks and start watering again to trigger new growth. This would also be a good time to repot into fresh soil and/or dig up and divide the bulb if it's getting too big for your pot.
Fertilize once a month with a balanced fertilizer (something like 10-10-10 or 20-20-20).
For outside growth, just plant the dormant bulb about 8-10 inches deep in mid-May and then cut back and dig up the bulb for winter storage in sand or peat moss when frost kills the foliage.
One other thing you should know if you have pets or visiting toddlers – alocasia is toxic if eaten. It's high in oxalates and can cause burning of the mouth, tongue and lips as well as vomiting and difficulty swallowing.