Alocasias look great near palms!

[Cindy Adair]

I added a few this trip and admired some that like it here.

Who grows these?

This is Alocasia zebrina

Alocasia Polly

My current favorite Alocasia tigrina superba

[Palm crazy]

Really like that last one. Little to tender for me…but this year I am trying to grow Giant Upright Elephant Ear ( Alocasia odor). Planted early May and has finally started to grow. Growing my Alocasia in a pot with no holes to keep it very wet.

I was wonder just the other day if you would be adding any Alocasia, they all look great.

Edited May 27, 2015 by Palm crazy

[Pedro 65]

Tigrina superba is a fav here too Cindy, and very cold hardy, doesnt even blemish when winter nights get down to 3c.

Enjoy the rest of your time before you head off then return and keep posting pics

Pete

[Cindy Adair]

Wow that's nice!

[Alicehunter2000]

Been trying to find info on your Tigrina superba ..... will this return from underground bulb in zone 9a? really cool looking

[Sandy Loam]

Been trying to find info on your Tigrina superba ..... will this return from underground bulb in zone 9a? really cool looking

Hi AliceHunter2000. You can buy Alocasia Tigrina Superba here: http://www.silverkrome.com/features/alocasia-gallery.html (bottom left photo)

However, that nursery is wholesale and they won't ship to individuals making small orders. In my experience, in Homestead the word "wholesale" usually means that you have to show up with cash in hand. I have never been turned away by a wholesale nursery.

BTW, all of my alocasias will experience some die-back in winter, but they bounce right back in the spring. A couple of hours south of here, they don't die back at all in winter.

I have some element of alocasia odora in all of my alocasia hybrids because it gives them extra cold-hardiness (generally keeps them going until about January, but then they will come back in March anyway). I bought all of mine, except for one, here: http://aroidiaresearch.org/atigrina.htm It also has alocasia tigrina superba, it seems, although I don't know if they are actually selling them. They usually sell rare alocasia hybrids and are NOT wholesale. I recommend them.

___________

Cindy: great photos!

[Pedro 65]

Cindy, a large fast growing Alo you can add to your list is Portei, ours is in more need of sun, leaves are huge when young.

Pete

[Josh-O]

Tigrina superba is a fav here too Cindy, and very cold hardy, doesnt even blemish when winter nights get down to 3c.

Enjoy the rest of your time before you head off then return and keep posting pics

Pete

wow!!

[tropicbreeze]

I have some sort of pathogen that really likes Alocasia. I can't grow them in the ground. The only ones I have are in pots or the ones that like sitting in water. No problems with Colocasia, Xanthosoma or other aroids. Bit of a nuisance really.

Saw some really big A. portei in PNG. I think there's some huge ones in the Flecker Gardens in Cairns as well.

[Cindy Adair]

Cindy, a large fast growing Alo you can add to your list is Portei, ours is in more need of sun, leaves are huge when young.

Pete

That is fantastic Pete! I will add it to my wish list...

[Sandy Loam]

I have some sort of pathogen that really likes Alocasia. I can't grow them in the ground. The only ones I have are in pots or the ones that like sitting in water. No problems with Colocasia, Xanthosoma or other aroids. Bit of a nuisance really.

Saw some really big A. portei in PNG. I think there's some huge ones in the Flecker Gardens in Cairns as well.

_______________________

TropicBreeze,

It's a pity that you can't grow alocasia. If you are interesting in having the fantastic looking trunks of alocasia tigrina superba, but cannot grow alocasias, perhaps another aroid worth considering is amorphophallus bulbifer. It has an even more beautiful trunk, although similar to the trunk of alocasia tigrina. Some people find them objectionable because they have a tendency to spread (asexual reproduction is a huge advantage), but I love them personally. I am growing some now.

[Cindy Adair]

I agree !

Amorphophallus is a great genus and the smaller ones are even hardy in zone 8 Virginia. Quite deciduous so that I always worry about them but I have had them for several decades now. Here they have made nice clumps but certainly not invasive especially since they are invisible half the year.

I want to try the giant ones that apparently grow fine in PR but I do know to plant all of them far away from the house because of the less than pleasant smelling flowers.

I remember visiting Fairchild Gardens when their "Big Stinky" was a special attraction!

[tropicbreeze]

TropicBreeze,

It's a pity that you can't grow alocasia. If you are interesting in having the fantastic looking trunks of alocasia tigrina superba, but cannot grow alocasias, perhaps another aroid worth considering is amorphophallus bulbifer. It has an even more beautiful trunk, although similar to the trunk of alocasia tigrina. Some people find them objectionable because they have a tendency to spread (asexual reproduction is a huge advantage), but I love them personally. I am growing some now.

I still have Alocasias, macrorrhizos from the original plantings which keeping growing up during the dry season but the pathogen rots the tubers in the wet season and they slowly die back only to resurge again in the dry season. They always stay small though.

In water I have cucullata and macrorrhizos 'Variegata'. In pots I have 'Vietnam Mutant', watsoniana, nycteris plus the Jewel Alocasias: reginula, melo, 'Poly' and 2 others I'm not sure of the ID. But I do have Typhonodorum lindleyanum up over 3 metres tall which are a bit of an Alocasia look-alike. And Xanthosoma robusta, to about 2.5 metres tall.

Amorph. bulbifer I have taking over a large area of garden. This year I cut off leaves (and bulblets) plus pulled as many plants out as would come out easily and put them on the fire. Paeoniifolius is also taking over in places with konjac starting to get a hold on. But I've also got gigas which flowered last year, a few small titanums, some symonianus, galbra and albispathus

Another aroid with nice stems is Gonotopus bovoinii, Giraffes Knees (but sometimes sold as "African Amorphophallus).

[Cindy Adair]

Quite a collection!

Sounds like if I grow Amorphophallus in PR I should consider putting them in pots to contain them...

[tropicbreeze]

Bulbifer gets out of control fast, konjac and paeoniifolius not so fast. But things like titanum, gigas, hewittii, and I think decus-silvae are okay, they're more difficult to multiply even if you try. Problem is nematodes seem to like them and for that reason are usually only grown in pots.

[Cindy Adair]

Bulbifer gets out of control fast, konjac and paeoniifolius not so fast. But things like titanum, gigas, hewittii, and I think decus-silvae are okay, they're more difficult to multiply even if you try. Problem is nematodes seem to like them and for that reason are usually only grown in pots.

Thanks for the help! I will try these one way or the other. Good to hear that the great big ones might not take over the world.

[Jeff Searle]

Cindy,

You have some of the nicest of the genus. Did you buy them during your last trip through south Florida? Silver Krome has the largest selection found anywhere if your looking for more.

[Cindy Adair]

Cindy,You have some of the nicest of the genus. Did you buy them during your last trip through south Florida? Silver Krome has the largest selection found anywhere if your looking for more.

Hi Jeff!

Thanks for your comments. I do think these species are lovely especially the large versions at Fairchild!

Yes,I did get them at a nursery in Miami (not the one you mentioned) that advertizes in the Fairchild Garden magazine. I try to support advertisers who support groups I like!

(Yes, this is a blatant plug for all plant business owners to join the IPS so I can publicize them on PalmTalk!)

The place has a lovely display area and lots of begonias, but I always find a few surprises.

I will be back to South Florida since it's so close to PR, hopefully for one of your future sales!

[Kim]

These are such great companions in the palm garden, definitely a genus I should explore further. I have a few tucked here and there in Hawaii, including one with the stripey stems. It did very well at first, then nearly died, then came back strongly, but has never gotten very large. Do these things need lots of food? Maybe I am starving the poor thing. A few more are recently planted, and hopefully establishing all right in my absence.

Palm Crazy and I are growing the same plant in similar pots. Mine had really big leaves the first year, but not much happening so far this year with the new leaves still rather small. What is the secret to giant leaves?

[sur4z]

Here is a page from a local south Florida nursery

http://www.excelsagardens.com/?page_id=983

[Palm crazy]

For people in nontropical climates here’s a hardy look alike exotic called Dracunculus vulgaris.

It has a very nice 5’ high trunk thats spotted, and one of the largest flowers that stinks to high heaven. Luckily the flower only last for a few days.

Started blooming today.

Edited June 8, 2015 by Palm crazy

[Palm crazy]

These are such great companions in the palm garden, definitely a genus I should explore further. I have a few tucked here and there in Hawaii, including one with the stripey stems. It did very well at first, then nearly died, then came back strongly, but has never gotten very large. Do these things need lots of food? Maybe I am starving the poor thing. A few more are recently planted, and hopefully establishing all right in my absence.

Palm Crazy and I are growing the same plant in similar pots. Mine had really big leaves the first year, but not much happening so far this year with the new leaves still rather small. What is the secret to giant leaves?

My guess is they are little piggies that love fertilizer. The brown soupy water in my container is fish emulsion. 91F yesterday and today so should soak that stuff up really good. One week update the main stems still hasn’t produce a new leaf, just the pups, but should start to grow this month.