Alocasia macrorrhizos
Giant Taro
Typical UK price, 17cm pot
£25
Price by size
- Sold, 90 days
- 0
- Middle half
- -
- Last sold
- 14 Jul 2026
- On record
- 4
- Sale
- Typical
- Middle half
- Estimate
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About Alocasia macrorrhizos
Alocasia macrorrhizos, the Giant Taro, is one of the largest and most widely grown aroids in cultivation: an enormous, solid deep-green, arrow-shaped-leaved plant that can reach several metres tall outdoors in the tropics, where its starchy corm has been cultivated as a food source for centuries. Indoors it stays considerably more modest but is still an imposing statement plant with immense, glossy, undivided leaves on thick upright petioles. Its size and vigour have made it a popular parent for ornamental selections, most notably the cream-marbled 'Variegated' form and the ivory-white-flushed 'Ivory Coast' cultivar, both of which are considerably slower, more delicate, and more expensive than the fast-growing, tolerant, and inexpensive plain green species.
Native range
Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands (widely naturalised across the tropics; long cultivated as a food crop)
Classification
- Genus
- Alocasia
- Family
- Araceae
- Type
- Wild
- Growth habit
- Upright, single-stemmed rosette
Morphology
- Leaf shape
- Broad, arrow-shaped (sagittateArrowhead-shaped leaves, with pointed lobes at the base pointing downwards.)
- Leaf length
- 40-90 cm indoors
- Leaf width
- 30-60 cm indoors
- Petiole colour
- Thick, pale to mid green
- Venation
- Prominent primary veins radiating from the petiole junction
- Texture
- Glossy, semi-waxy
- Variegation
- N/A: solid deep green leaf blade; the cream-marbled 'Variegated' and ivory-flushed 'Ivory Coast' forms are selections bred from this species
- Growth habit
- Upright single-stemmed rosette
Recent UK sales
- 14 Jul 2026
True Giant Elephant Ear alocasia macrorrhiza! Fast growing in 17 cm pot
17cm pot · 14 Jul 2026 £25 - 24 Jun 2026
True Giant Elephant Ear alocasia macrorrhiza! Fast growing in 19 cm pot
17cm pot · 24 Jun 2026 £25 - 2 Jun 2026
Alocasia macrorrhiza 30/40 cm| Giant taro | Elephant ear - Juvenile Plant
21cm pot · 2 Jun 2026 £21 - 28 Apr 2026
True Giant Elephant Ear alocasia macrorrhiza! Fast growing in 19 cm pot
17cm pot · 28 Apr 2026 £25
For sale in the UK
By month
| Month | Median | Sold |
|---|---|---|
| Jul 2026 | £25 | 1 |
| Jun 2026 | £25 | 1 |
| Apr 2026 | £25 | 1 |
Before you buy
- The plain green species is inexpensive and widely available, so be wary of inflated prices for unnamed 'giant Alocasia' listings
- For 'Ivory Coast' or 'Variegated' forms, confirm the variegation pattern in photos matches the named form, as labelling is inconsistent in this group
- Check the corm/root ball is firm; this species is generally rot-resistant but still vulnerable in waterlogged substrate
- Factor in eventual size; this is one of the largest commonly available Alocasia species and will outgrow a small pot within a year or two
Alocasia macrorrhizos care
- Substrate
- Rich, well-draining mix: 40% potting compost, 30% orchid bark, 20% perlite, 10% horticultural charcoal. Tolerant of denser mixes than most Alocasia given its vigour.
- Watering
- Water thoroughly when the top few centimetres of substrate dry out. This species is thirstier and more forgiving of consistent moisture than most jewel Alocasias; avoid letting it dry out completely for long.
- Humidity
- 50-70% for lush growth, though it tolerates average household humidity better than most Alocasia species.
- Feeding
- Balanced liquid fertiliser at full strength every 2-3 weeks during the growing season; this is a hungry, fast-growing plant.
- Repotting
- Annually while young, given its rapid growth rate; every 2 years once mature and sized to its final container.
Common problems
Yellowing lower leaves
Cause: Natural leaf turnover as the plant grows, older leaves are shed as new ones emerge
Fix: Remove spent leaves at the base; only investigate further if multiple leaves yellow at once
Reversion to green on variegated forms
Cause: Insufficient light causing the plant to favour chlorophyll-rich green tissue
Fix: Increase light levels and prune reverted all-green growth points to encourage variegated growth to dominate
Spider mites
Cause: Dry indoor air, especially over winter
Fix: Increase humidity and treat with insecticidal soap or neem oil at first sign of stippling
Gear for this plant
- Flowers of Sulphur, 99.99% PurityDusted onto a fresh corm or rhizome cut to guard against rot before repotting.
- Precision Bonsai Pruning Scissors, 200mmFine-bladed snips for clean node cuts when taking a cutting.
- Humidity Dome, Heavy-Duty Germination KitVented propagation dome for holding humidity around fresh cuttings.
- Digital Hygrometer & ThermometerLCD humidity and temperature gauge for checking a grow spot against a plant's target range.
How to propagate Alocasia macrorrhizos
- Methods
- Rhizome division, Offset (corm/pup). Step-by-step guide
- Difficulty
- Easy. Forgiving of missed waterings, average home humidity, and imperfect light. A solid pick for beginners or low-fuss collections.
- Time to establish
- 2-3 months
- True from cuttings
- Yes. Cuttings keep the cultivar's character.
- Notes
- Mature plants readily produce basal offsets that can be divided once independently rooted. The plain species propagates vigorously and reliably; the variegated and Ivory Coast forms are markedly slower and more prone to reverting or stalling if divided too early.