Full Specimen Plate
Alocasia 'Purple Cloak'
Purple Cloak Alocasia
Alocasia 'Purple Cloak' Morphology
About Alocasia 'Purple Cloak'
Alocasia 'Purple Cloak' is a compact hybrid cultivar named for its near-black, deep-purple petioles and stems, which contrast sharply against glossy, arrow-shaped dark green leaves. The purple pigment often bleeds faintly into the leaf margins and shows clearly on the underside of each blade, giving the plant a moody, richly coloured presence despite its modest size. Its exact parentage is undocumented, as is common for many hybrid Alocasia cultivars circulating in the trade, but it is widely grown for the stem colour rather than any variegation. It keeps a tidy clumping habit that suits smaller collections better than the genus's larger-growing species.
Market Analysis
Alocasia 'Purple Cloak' Price Guide & Auction Value
Historical eBay auction metrics and live retailer listings updated weekly.
No eBay auction history available yet. Data is collected automatically as sales appear on eBay UK.
Before You Buy
Species-specific things to check when evaluating a listing
- Check the corm/base is firm, not soft or mushy
- Confirm the petiole colour is genuinely dark purple to near-black rather than plain green, as naming consistency varies between sellers
- Inspect for spider mites on leaf undersides, a common Alocasia pest
Propagation Guide
How to Propagate Alocasia 'Purple Cloak'
2-4 months
Cultivar character is preserved through vegetative cuttings
Clumps naturally and can be divided at the base once offsets have their own roots.
Care Guide
Alocasia 'Purple Cloak' Care Guide & Growing Conditions
Chunky, well-draining aroid mix: 40% potting compost, 30% perlite, 20% orchid bark, 10% horticultural charcoal.
Water when the top 3-4 cm of substrate is dry.
60-80% preferred for best growth and stem colour.
Balanced liquid fertiliser at half strength every 4 weeks during active growth.
Every 12-18 months, or when the clump crowds the pot.
Common Problems
Fading purple colour on stems
Insufficient light
Move to brighter indirect light
Spider mites
Low humidity and dry air
Increase humidity and inspect leaf undersides regularly
Colour Without Variegation
Not every desirable Alocasia trades on a white or gold break in the leaf — this one earns its keep purely through stem and underside colour, which is a different kind of drama entirely. As a hybrid cultivar its lineage isn't formally documented, which is true of a great many named Alocasia selections in circulation. Judge it on the plant in front of you rather than any claimed parentage.
