Colocasias

[JohnAndSancho]

I dunno if this is heaven or hell, I guess it depends on how you look at it. I paid like 20 or 25 bucks for a pot with a big one and 6 pups at Lowes not even a month ago, and I figured that the big one could be ok in its 3g pot and the pups would all be ok in 1g pots until spring when I can sell them. 

 

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA HAHAHAHAHAHAHA HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA HAHAHAHAHAHA NOPE They're already throwing roots everywhere, despite the fact that they're all in transplant shock and dropping leaves like crazy. I was really hoping these would stay small enough to be shippable on the cheap. 

 

They're not even under good lights. I see why everyone has a love/hate relationship with them now. I can't decide if this is a good thing or a bad thing but I'll definitely make more than $25 in spring. 

[TropicsEnjoyer]

somewhat basic, but regardless they’re pretty plants to quickly create that tropical foliage vibe

really hard to kill too, which is good most of the time 

[Merlyn]

Given the size of that trunk, I wonder if that's Colocasia esculenta or Xanthosoma sagittifolium?  Both are considered invasive plants, at least in Florida.  I have Colocasia Esculenta in my yard.  I've been steadily trying to eradicate it from several patches, but it just keeps popping up months later.  They may be annuals up North, so not invasive.

[JohnAndSancho]

5 hours ago, Merlyn said:

Given the size of that trunk, I wonder if that's Colocasia esculenta or Xanthosoma sagittifolium?  Both are considered invasive plants, at least in Florida.  I have Colocasia Esculenta in my yard.  I've been steadily trying to eradicate it from several patches, but it just keeps popping up months later.  They may be annuals up North, so not invasive.

I honestly don't know. It's a Costa Farms plant and it was labeled Colocasia California and that's all I've got to go on. I look forward to putting them in some old lady's truck in a few months and planting the big one..

[Merlyn]

@JohnAndSancho gotcha.  An AI assisted search says it might be an Alocasia Gagaena 'California' if the leaves are about 15 inches.  If the mature leaves are HUUuuuuuge (like 3 to 6 feet long) then it might be fhe invasive one.

[JohnAndSancho]

1 minute ago, Merlyn said:

@JohnAndSancho gotcha.  An AI assisted search says it might be an Alocasia Gagaena 'California' if the leaves are about 15 inches.  If the mature leaves are HUUuuuuuge (like 3 to 6 feet long) then it might be fhe invasive one.

Nate is gonna send me some bulbs of the Jacks Giant species too. I honestly thought 1g would hold the cuttings for a few months and now I'm like ok let's Amazon Prime some 3g pots but I'm not going any bigger than that for these. Save one sell the rest, that's my game plan. And it's funny, I've only got to keep it for 4 months to legally call it Mississippi grown. So there we go. I guess these will be on the edge of shippable come springtime. 

[John2468]

Here is what I believed to be an Alocasia California that I had a few years ago. This one is around 5ft tall with leaves around 2.5ft long.

[JohnAndSancho]

1 hour ago, John2468 said:

Here is what I believed to be an Alocasia California that I had a few years ago. This one is around 5ft tall with leaves around 2.5ft long.

Yep! That looks like a larger version of what I've got back in the grow room. I really need to come up with a clever name for this room...... 

[Merlyn]

@John2468 yeah that definitely looks like the Alocasia "California" one and not the invasive Xanthosoma or Colocasia.  The easiest way to tell is how the leaves are held.  Yours are upright with the tips pointing upwards.  The Xanthosoma and Colocasia Esculenta grow with tips pointing down.  I *think* that's an Alocasia = up and Colocasia = down quick ID method.  But I don't grow too many elephant ears these days...too much frost for most of them to be happy all year.

[JohnAndSancho]

1 hour ago, Merlyn said:

@John2468 yeah that definitely looks like the Alocasia "California" one and not the invasive Xanthosoma or Colocasia.  The easiest way to tell is how the leaves are held.  Yours are upright with the tips pointing upwards.  The Xanthosoma and Colocasia Esculenta grow with tips pointing down.  I *think* that's an Alocasia = up and Colocasia = down quick ID method.  But I don't grow too many elephant ears these days...too much frost for most of them to be happy all year.

I'm no expert either. Literally saw a $25 pot with a mom and 6 pups and thought "I'll bet I could sell the pups for what I pay for the whole pot in a few months," I just didn't know that "a few months" would turn into "2 weeks." I guess we can confirm conditions in my grow room are awesome for tropicals. It's literally like Florida in there. 

[Merlyn]

8 hours ago, JohnAndSancho said:

I'm no expert either. Literally saw a $25 pot with a mom and 6 pups and thought "I'll bet I could sell the pups for what I pay for the whole pot in a few months," I just didn't know that "a few months" would turn into "2 weeks." I guess we can confirm conditions in my grow room are awesome for tropicals. It's literally like Florida in there. 

Oh yeah, some of them are really rapid growers.  And some just refuse to die.  I had an interesting black leaf one with red stems.  I thought it died 3 or 4 years ago from frost, and then one randomly popped up over the summer...

[JohnAndSancho]

43 minutes ago, Merlyn said:

Oh yeah, some of them are really rapid growers.  And some just refuse to die.  I had an interesting black leaf one with red stems.  I thought it died 3 or 4 years ago from frost, and then one randomly popped up over the summer...

I'd like to get some with color - in much smaller sizes this time, but the stupid thing is it costs just as much to buy a sprout as it does to buy a 3 gallon pot. 

[John2468]

12 hours ago, Merlyn said:

  I *think* that's an Alocasia = up and Colocasia = down quick ID method.

I believe you’re right about that method. In my first picture, you can see Colocasia esculenta right beside it. And as far as all the other species I’ve grown, they all seem to follow that rule.

[JohnAndSancho]

Holy freaking root porn. This is less than 2 weeks from the separation of the pups! It has filled out the 3g pot I bought it in, and I'm now realizing that all of the green roots are future pups. 

And because I hate myself, I fertilized the crap out of this one too. I mean not enough to burn it, but it got a good handful of Dr. Earth and there's a few heavy handfuls of cow poop mixed in there and top dressed with more cow poop because, again - I hate myself. I guess the good thing is I can just mount a light on the other side of the room and let all of these jokers chill by themselves over there once I get more of the trash and toys cleaned out. 

More updates from today in Mississippi Squad thread. 

[JohnAndSancho]

I hate this awful pun but I think these are growing on me. They def get massive in a hurry, which is a huge selling point. I also hate these because they def get massive in a hurry, and I shouldn't be potting up anything in the span of what, 3 or 4 weeks? 

[Merlyn]

On 11/23/2025 at 1:10 PM, JohnAndSancho said:

I hate this awful pun but I think these are growing on me. They def get massive in a hurry, which is a huge selling point. I also hate these because they def get massive in a hurry, and I shouldn't be potting up anything in the span of what, 3 or 4 weeks? 

That's why I kinda like the smaller ones, you can grow a whole lot of plants in 1 gallon pots.  There's some teacup types and others that also grow and divide fast, but are a little easier to handle.  If you are thinking of growing to sell, check out various species' sale pricing on Etsy or eBay first, just to see popularity and rarity.

[JohnAndSancho]

14 minutes ago, Merlyn said:

That's why I kinda like the smaller ones, you can grow a whole lot of plants in 1 gallon pots.  There's some teacup types and others that also grow and divide fast, but are a little easier to handle.  If you are thinking of growing to sell, check out various species' sale pricing on Etsy or eBay first, just to see popularity and rarity.

The rare ones I want are patented so I couldn't legally sell them. Redemption, specifically. But with these I'm hoping to sell local to someone who's just impressed by massive plants. I'm looking at the mother right now and I'm in awe. And @N8ALLRIGHT just shipped off what looks like a pretty big box of bulbs of Jacks Giant, and I can't decide if I wanna get excited or have a panic attack, because you know I'm gonna try to sprout them already. 

 

Either way I just took a Valium.  

[Palms1984]

On 11/9/2025 at 3:23 PM, JohnAndSancho said:

I dunno if this is heaven or hell, I guess it depends on how you look at it. I paid like 20 or 25 bucks for a pot with a big one and 6 pups at Lowes not even a month ago, and I figured that the big one could be ok in its 3g pot and the pups would all be ok in 1g pots until spring when I can sell them. 

 

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA HAHAHAHAHAHAHA HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA HAHAHAHAHAHA NOPE They're already throwing roots everywhere, despite the fact that they're all in transplant shock and dropping leaves like crazy. I was really hoping these would stay small enough to be shippable on the cheap. 

 

They're not even under good lights. I see why everyone has a love/hate relationship with them now. I can't decide if this is a good thing or a bad thing but I'll definitely make more than $25 in spring. 

I’m almost positive that is Alocasia macrorrhizos (macrorrhiza).  It’s an extremely common and easy to grow Alocasia.  It can grow massive in the ground, to 15 plus feet with many stems.  Here in San Diego it is usually seen around 8 or 9 ft tall.  It even grows to 7 or 8 ft in the San Francisco Bay Area.  It can grow to 6 or even 7 ft tall in a big pot.  

[JohnAndSancho]

6 hours ago, Palms1984 said:

I’m almost positive that is Alocasia macrorrhizos (macrorrhiza).  It’s an extremely common and easy to grow Alocasia.  It can grow massive in the ground, to 15 plus feet with many stems.  Here in San Diego it is usually seen around 8 or 9 ft tall.  It even grows to 7 or 8 ft in the San Francisco Bay Area.  It can grow to 6 or even 7 ft tall in a big pot.  

Thanks for that. All I had to go off of was the tag, but yes - they get massive. I put the mother in a 5 gallon bucket and if I gave it any fertilizer at all I'm sure she'd be tickling the ceiling at this point. And they pup like crazy, too. Absolute beast of a plant. 

[metalfan]

Definitely not a Colocasia.

Costa Farms is notorious for mislabeling things.

Its ALocasia odora 'California'. (Gageana is no longer applied to this plant....its actually a different plant in a whole other genus).

I grow the variegated forms (both aurea and albo)

[JohnAndSancho]

4 hours ago, metalfan said:

Definitely not a Colocasia.

Costa Farms is notorious for mislabeling things.

Its ALocasia odora 'California'. (Gageana is no longer applied to this plant....its actually a different plant in a whole other genus).

I grow the variegated forms (both aurea and albo)

How is it that I just managed to both learn a lot and somehow feel dumber? 😂 Anyway this is definitely your area of expertise here and I definitely appreciate the correction and your plants are awesome. My whole life they've just been "elephant ears" and now I know there's like hundreds of them and they're all different. 

[Merlyn]

@metalfan thanks for the info!  Do you know if the "rule of thumb" I mentioned above is correct?  Leaves growing out with tips facing upwards = Alocasia; leaves growing out with tips quickly facing downwards = Colocasia?  Obviously they all grow with tips upwards initially, but some of your variegated ones looks like they are flat or facing downwards?

[metalfan]

Its really more about the petiolar attachment. In ***MOST***  Alocasias the petiolar attachment is very near or at the top of the sinus. That makes the leaves point more up. Exceptions t this are things like Cuprea, Clypeolata and some others.

In Colocasia, the petiolar attachment is located down quite a ways from the sinus, more in the almost center of maybe at the '2/3' mark. And the attachment is often marked on the front of the leaf blade with a spot called a Piko. This makes colocasia leaves go more downward.

Also. Alocasia make a 'banded' trunk as old leaves fall off, Colocasia do not.

First 4 photos, ALocasias. The last is Clypeolata, and example of a rule breaker.

2nd 4 photos, colocasias. The last photo, Colocasia escuelenta 'Chicago Harlequin' shows a good example of a Piko

[Palms1984]

On 12/12/2025 at 11:05 AM, metalfan said:

Definitely not a Colocasia.

Costa Farms is notorious for mislabeling things.

Its ALocasia odora 'California'. (Gageana is no longer applied to this plant....its actually a different plant in a whole other genus).

I grow the variegated forms (both aurea and albo)

It amazes me how often Alocasia, Colocasia and Xanthosoma are so mislabeled these days.

[JohnAndSancho]

On 12/19/2025 at 2:51 AM, Palms1984 said:

It amazes me how often Alocasia, Colocasia and Xanthosoma are so mislabeled these days.

I'm just glad there's people like y'all who can correct me. I just read what was on the label. Anyway - is the big one trying to flower? What is this? 

 

[Palms1984]

17 hours ago, JohnAndSancho said:

I'm just glad there's people like y'all who can correct me. I just read what was on the label. Anyway - is the big one trying to flower? What is this? 

 

I’ve been around Alocasia, Colocasia and Xanthosoma all my life.  I’m from Hawaii originally and lived many years in the SF Bay Area, before moving to San Diego.  Alocasia species grow best in Hawaii, but the SF Bay Area has so many big, beautiful specimens everywhere.  I actually think Alocasia looks better there than here in San Diego because of the very good soil.  
 

My Regal Shield Alocasia is flowering like crazy now.  I think it’s because it’s been warm (70 to 85 degrees f  daytime, with lows mostly in the 50’s) the last three weeks here.  

BTW:  Your Alocasia is going to flower.

Here’s some Alocasia ‘Borneo Giant’ and Portodora at the SD Zoo.

[Palms1984]

Alocasia ‘Borneo Giant’ at the SD Zoo

[metalfan]

Yes, they bloom. Don't cut it off.  SOme people will tell you that you should to 'sendmre energy to develop leaves'. But the opposite is true. Interrupting the bloom cycle before its finished can be detremental to your plant by robbing it of the nutrients it would recover when the bloom fades and dies

[JohnAndSancho]

Kinda looks like a peace lily. 

[Palms1984]

On 12/27/2025 at 10:43 AM, JohnAndSancho said:

Kinda looks like a peace lily. 

It’s in the same plant family (Araceae). 

[metalfan]

All aroids have a spathe and spadix bloom

Philodendron, SPathiphyllum, Xanthosoma, Amydrium, Anthurium

[JohnAndSancho]

@metalfan by any chance do you have a corm hookup? I guess aroids are my current "gotta have it" obsession and it looks like the best prices are on mystery boxes and I'm not a huge fan of surprises. I want a mix of color and obscenely huge stuff, I kinda have an idea of what I want but if I can find a plug vs buying from randos on eBay that's the way I'd prefer to go. 

[JohnAndSancho]

I am gonna be adding a lot to this thread in the coming months. 

 

I bought some bulbs from some reputable sellers with good reviews so fingers crossed. I also plan to take a knife to them so toes crossed. 

 

I bought 3 Thai Giants, 2 Hawaiian Punch, and one White Lava bulb all supposedly 2 pounds, 7-9 inches each. The Thai came from uhh Greenhouse PCA off of Amazon and the others came from Garden State Bulbs. I actually bought the Hawaiian Punch off eBay because it was cheaper there and I bought the White Lava off of Lowe's because it was cheaper there. Anyway, I guess we'll see what happens and worst case scenario I grab the coconut out of the woods and return it to them. I already got a little practice cutting bulbs from @N8ALLRIGHT and cutting banana corms from @5am so, I think I know what I'm doing, but that's usually when things go bad. It usually works out better for me when I have absolutely no idea what I'm doing and just wing it. Also bought a Black Ruffle plant.

[JohnAndSancho]

Welp the first box of bulbs (Hawaiian Punch) arrived and NGL I'm a little relieved that the bulbs aren't covered in eyes. One only had one eye and the other one has 3, and I'd rather start 4 pots than - maybe this is wrong - I had read it's not uncommon for bulbs of this size to have 12-25 eyes. One more arrives tomorrow, 3 arrive Monday, and then my Wellspring box. Plus I have oodles and oodles of pups and sprouts to pot up. I can't say I'm looking forward to it, but - we'll see how it goes. I'm either gonna make a few dollars over the summer or put my head through a wall, one of the two. 

[JohnAndSancho]

I ordered a couple Colocasia Redemption bulbs from Holland Bulb (they're 50% off for preorder and free shipping for new customers) and I'm haggling on eBay for a couple others. I'm gonna put the Redemption next to a pair of crape myrtles on the driveway, I think the pink on pink is just gonna be straight dope. I've got a dead DIRECTV tree I need to get out of the way, it's in the perfect spot for one of these. 

 

The White Lava and Thai Giant showed up, too. Between those and the bananas I should have plenty of shade and color to go around while I wait for the palms to do something. 

[JohnAndSancho]

Cuprea red secret and Bisma platinum ordered as well as a Colocasia Jurassic Jellyfish