Alocasia Azlanii Plant Care Guide - Growing Jewel Alocasia at Home

Last Updated on March 19, 2022 by Admin

The Alocasia Azlanii is also known as the Azlanii Plant and the Jewel Alocasia. It is a rare, very sought after plant because of its unique looking leaves which are waxy and have a chocolate-maroon color and bright purple veins.

Its leaf colors also change starting from green with purple veins when young before turning a darker maroon/burgundy/chocolate hue.

Since it was just discovered recently, growers are just learning about it. It is only known to come from Borneo.

Many people have compared it to the Alocasia cuprea because they have similar distinctive features. However, you can easily tell the different between the two because they look different.

How do you care for the Alocasia Azlanii? The plant likes bright, indirect sunlight and moderate to warm temperatures (65 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit).

It also grows best at high humidity of 60% and above. Give it well-draining soil and allow the soil to dry between waterings. This will prevent overwatering and root rot.

Table of Contents

Alocasia Azlanii Plant Care

Jewel Alocasia Light Requirements

The Alocasia Azlanii does best in a well-lit location with indirect light. You can give it medium to bright light for the best results. The plant will also do well under grow lights in case your home does not have a lot of access to natural light.

This alocasia will also tolerate low light although I don’t suggest leaving it there as it will won’t grow as fast and may become leggy over time. The leaves also won’t be as impressive as when the plant gets bright light.

That said, be careful with too much light.

Excess light can damage the plant. And this is the case for direct sunlight.

The plant cannot tolerate very strong long for more than 1-2 hours a day. And you leave it there, its leaves will eventually turn yellow or brown. Also, there’s a chance that the they can burn leaving you with brown or black scorch marks on foliage.

Either way, it would be a shame to see any of these happen to the beautiful leaves of the Jewel Alocasia.

As such, the best spot indoors for the plant is near an east facing window.

If you decide to leave it towards the west or the south, make sure that you keep it away from the sun’s rays between 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. This is when the sun is most intense.

And the plant cannot tolerate this kind of exposure.

This also means that you want to avoid full sun outdoors. Instead, leave it somewhere with partial shade.

Jewel Alocasia Temperature

The Alocasia Azlanii prefers temperatures between 65 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit. It is a tropical plant. So, it will be happy to live under warm to hot climate conditions.

This also means that it is used to staying in areas that have 90 to 95 degree Fahrenheit conditions.

However, it is important to be aware that the plant is not cold hardy.

And it has a hard time living in temperatures below 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Therefore, avoid leaving it anywhere cold.

Also, move it from areas that can suddenly have temperature fluctuations.

One example are air conditioners which can suddenly cause a drop in temperature. Another is open windows or doors where cold drafts come in.

Outdoors, this means making sure that if you bring the plant outside during summertime, don’t forget to take it back indoors once the weather drops to near 60 degrees Fahrenheit around fall. Don’t leave it out during winter as the plant will die back.

Humidity

The Alocasia Azlanii can tolerate humidity of around 50%. However, its ideal levels are 60% and higher.

High humidity allows the plant to grow faster. It also produces more beautiful, vibrant foliage.

Because the average home humidity is usually between 20% to 50%, you may or may not need to help the plant out to keep it happy in terms of moisture in the air.

As such, make sure to check what the day to day humidity is where you live.

I keep a hygrometer near my houseplants for this purpose. This way, it can just take a quick glance and know what the humidity in a certain room in my home is at that moment.

This makes it easy to keep track to see whether the current levels are enough to keep the Alocasia Azlanii happy.

If you notice its leaf tips or edges start turning brown or crispy. This is a sign that it needs moisture. If not, then you don’t need to do anything.

To increase the humidity around the plant, you do have a few options.

The simplest is to move the plant to a more humid location. In some homes this may be possible as some rooms have higher humidity than others.

If not, you can also leave it in the bathroom or kitchen which usually have the highest humidity in homes because we use a lot of water there.

Another option is to invest in a humidifier. But if you don’t want to spend money, you can go with

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How Often to Water Alocasia Azlanii

The Alocasia Azlanii is a thirsty plant. Therefore, it enjoys have consistently moist soil. However, it is also more susceptible to overwatering than other alocasia varieties.

As such, you want to be careful to give it enough moisture but not too much because it has a lower tolerance to overwatering compared to its relatives.

This means the best way to water the plant is to allow the top 2 inches of soil to dry between waterings. This way you don’t end up adding more moisture to soil that is still wet.

This can lead to the roots being left sitting in water which it does not like.

If this happens long enough or too often, it can lead to root rot.

In addition to knowing when to water, it is also important to understand how to water the plant.

To do so, soak the soil of your Alocasia Azlanii plant until you start seeing liquid drip from the bottom of the container. Then allow the soil to drain completely before you put the plant back to its spot.

This method allows the plant to get the hydration it needs when you drench the entire root ball. Then by allowing the soil to completely drain right after, it prevents the roots from being left in water for an extended period.

This will leave the roots with moist soil and lots of air to breathe because the excess liquid has already drained.

Alocasia Azlanii Potting Soil

Since the Alocasia Azlanii plant can be susceptible to overwatering, it is important to use the right soil.

The best soil for this alocasia plant is loose, well-draining soil that is rich in organic matter. It will also do well in soil pH between 6.1 to 6.5.

This kind of soil helps to quickly get rid of excess moisture to avoid waterlogging or overwatering. But at the same time, it retains enough water to keep the plant hydrated.

You can use 3 ingredients to following this simple recipe to achieve the perfect soil for the Azlanii plant. Just combine:

1 part potting soil
1 part perlite
1 part peat or coco coir

This potting mix hold enough moisture to keep the plant hydrated. But the perlite also ensures that excess water quickly drains out.

In addition to using soil with good drainage, don’t forget to use a pot with at least one hole at the bottom. This will allow any liquid that drains from the soil to drip out of the container. Otherwise, it will just pool there and keep the soil at the bottom wet.

Fertilizer

The Alocasia Azlanii needs fertilizer if you want it to grow optimally. The nutrients from the plant food will allow it not only to grow faster but also produce more foliage.

Therefore, it is a good idea to feed the plant.

However, avoid giving it more than the instructions on the product say.

That’s because too much fertilizer can burn the roots. This is due to the salt they contain. For this reason, too much fertilizer is worse than not feeding the plant at all.

You can use a balanced, water soluble fertilizer once a month diluted to half strength. Only apply during the spring and summer which is when the plant is actively growing. This is when you’ll see it grow the fastest.

Come fall as the weather gets colder, growth will slow. By then, stop feeding the Jewel Alocasia.

And don’t feed it during winter as it will not grow much during this time because of the cold climate.

If you feed it during this time, you’ll only be adding excess nutrients and salts to the soil. This will allow the soil to build up quickly since the plant isn’t taking up any or much of the minerals.

Jewel Alocasia Pruning

The Alocasia Azlanii can grow up to 2 feet tall. Its leaves reach around 8 inches in length.

Its unique looking leaves make up most of the plant as you’ll see them cover the top of the plant and overlap over one another as the plant produces more foliage.

Its size also means that you can keep it on tables and not necessarily have to move it to the ground.

Because it does not get too big and you want its leaves to show off the Jewel Alocasia’s beauty, pruning isn’t really needed.

Of course, you can remove one or two leaves every so often if you feel they are getting crowded. Similarly, you can prune the plant to encourage it to grow more if you want it to get bushier

But for the most part, pruning is a low maintenance task for the Azlanii plant.

However, make sure to remove any dead, dying, yellow, brown or damaged leaves. The same is true for diseased foliage.

Doing so not only keeps the plant healthy but also allows its to grow faster. That’s because it won’t need to expend energy and resources trying to revive these leaves (which they won’t).

Instead, it will focus all its got on growing new foliage and the healthy leaves that it has.

How to Propagate Alocasia Azlanii

The Alocasia Azlanii is usually propagated through division, offsets and seeds.

Seeds are common in for commercial establishments like shops and nurseries because it allows them to grow many plants at the same time. This gives them the ability to sell more.

However, the process is longer and takes more time since you need to germinate the seed and start just about from scratch.

As such, it is not practical for most home growers unless you want to learn more about the entire process.

Instead, division and offsets are much common for houseplant owners.

It is something I urge you to try especially considering that the Azlanii plant is quite expensive. Its price can range from $120 to $500, depending on where you buy it.

Here’s how to propagate the Alocasia Azlanii by division and offsets step by step.

Propagating Alocasia Azlanii by Division

Division is the most common way to propagate the Jewel Alocasia at home. It is simple to do although takes a bit more work because you have to unpot the plant.

Here’s how to do it step by step.

Carefully take the plant out of its pot.
Remove excess soil and dirt so you can clearly see its roots.
You can now choose which segments you want to divide the plant into. Because it is not a big plant, splitting the parent into 2 smaller plants is a good idea.
Once you’ve decided where to make the cut, get a sterilized knife and cut the rhizomes. Try to divide the plant so both segments get about the same number of roots. This way, they will both thrive.
Pot up each division into well-draining potting soil.

Now, you can take care of the two smaller plants like you did the parent.

And it time, they will grow into clones of their mother plant.

Propagating Alocasia Azlanii from Offsets

The Alocasia Azlanii will produce offsets which are basically baby versions of itself. These will grow at the base so all you need to do is look near the soil around the plant.

If you see any offsets, choose the bigger ones.

I like to take those that are 3 inches or larger because they have a better chance of survival then planted separately into their own pots.

Leave the smaller offsets and allow them to get bigger before you separate them from the parent.

Use a sterile knife to cut the roots of the offsets that attach it to its parent.

You can then pot the offsets into a container with well-draining soil. These will grow into mature plants that look like the parent plant.

While propagating from offsets is the easiest way to grow more Jewel Alocasia, it is not very practical because you don’t know when the plant will produce them.

As such, you don’t have full control when you can propagate.

How to Repot or Transplant Alocasia Azlanii

The Alocasia Azlanii is not a big plant and it will never need a large pot. It also does not need to be repot annually.

Instead, repot when the plant outgrows it container. Usually this is every 2 years.

However, I prefer to see what the plant is telling me than to just blindly follow a guideline figure.

Thus, the best way to tell when it needs repotting is to check the bottom of the pot. If you see roots coming out from the drainage holes, it means it is time to repot.

Similarly, some roots may pop up and out from the surface of the soil.

Another way to tell is to pull the plant out of its pot. If you see roots circling around the root ball, it means they have run out of space in the soil and are now wrapping themselves around the root ball.

To repot:

Take the plant out of the pot and move it to a container that is 2 inches larger. Fill the pot with fresh, well-draining soil. Then water until the soil is moist.

Is It Toxic/Poisonous to Humans, Cats & Dogs

Yes. Sadly, the Alocasia Azlanii is toxic to people, cats and dogs. But it is important to note that the plant only become toxic when ingested.

So, you can touch the plant without risk of poison.

That said, once ingested, chewed, swallowed or consumed, the insoluble calcium oxalate crystals can pierce internal tissues causing pain, swelling and irritation.

This usually begins in the mouth area including the tongue, lips and throat. But as you swallow or consume parts of the plant, it will spread to the digestive tract and stomach causing other side effects.

Alocasia Azlanii Problems & Troubleshooting

Pests

The Alocasia Azlanii has a few common pests that it seems to encounter. These include spider mites, mealybugs, aphids and scale.

These are sap suckers. As such, they like to feed on the plant especially its thick leaves.

Because they are very tiny, they don’t do much damage individually. Therefore, they’re not harmful when only a few of them are there.

However, this is when you should get rid of them because they’re easy to wipe out.

The problem is that these pests will grow in number very quickly. And once they turn into an infestation, they become very dangerous.

For this reason, regular inspection is important.

It is the only way you can spot any bugs early on. And once you, I like to immediately spray them off with a gentle stream of water.

You can use a showerhead or hose. But avoid using a strong stream as it can damage the plant.

This should carry away most of the bugs.

However, your job is to completely eradicated them. That’s because leaving eggs, adults or larvae only allows the insects to restart their life cycle.

Diseases

Root rot and infections are the main issues to watch out for here. Both bacterial and fungal infections can affect leaves, stems and roots.

These are caused by excess moisture. As such, try to not leave the plant wet including its leaves.

Also allow it to get sunlight and good air circulation which will help dry any water on the plant and soil surface.

On the other hand, root rot is caused by overwatering and waterlogging.

Thus, avoid watering when the soil is still moist or wet. Also use well-draining soil.

Alocasia Azlanii Plant Care Guide – Growing Jewel Alocasia at Home