Alocasia sanderiana
Kris Plant
Typical UK price
£20
Price by size
- Sold, 90 days
- 0
- Middle half
- -
- Last sold
- 19 Jul 2026
- On record
- 1
- Sale
- Typical
- Middle half
- Estimate
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About Alocasia sanderiana
Alocasia sanderiana, the Kris Plant, is a Philippine species named for the wavy-bladed kris sword its scalloped, deeply-cut leaf margins resemble. Deep glossy green-black leaves are edged and veined in bright silvery-white, giving a strong high-contrast pattern unusual among Alocasia species. Endemic to a small area of Northern Mindanao, it is classified as critically endangered in the wild by the IUCN, though it has been cultivated and propagated in the houseplant trade for decades and is not endangered in cultivation. It is one of the parent species behind the famous Alocasia × amazonica hybrid complex.
Native range
Northern Mindanao, Philippines (humid tropical understory); critically endangered in the wild, IUCN Red List
Classification
- Genus
- Alocasia
- Family
- Araceae
- Type
- Wild
- Growth habit
- Upright rosette
Morphology
- Leaf shape
- Deeply lobed, arrow-shaped with wavy, scalloped (kris-blade) margins
- Leaf length
- 30-45 cm
- Leaf width
- 15-25 cm
- Petiole colour
- Green, mottled
- Venation
- Bright silvery-white primary veins and leaf margin, contrasting with deep green-black blade
- Texture
- Glossy
- Variegation
- N/A: the silvery-white veining and margin are a fixed species trait, not variegation
- Growth habit
- Upright rosette
Recent UK sales
For sale in the UK
UK shops
| Shop | Stock | Checked | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| House of Kojo 11cm pot | Sold out | 19 Oct 2026 | £16 |
| House of Kojo 17cm pot | Sold out | 19 Oct 2026 | £59 |
By month
| Month | Median | Sold |
|---|---|---|
| Jul 2026 | £20 | 1 |
Before you buy
- This species is critically endangered in the wild; only buy from sellers offering clearly nursery-propagated or tissue-cultured stock
- Check the corm/base is firm, not soft or foul-smelling
- Confirm the scalloped, wavy leaf margin and silvery venation match reference photos; plain Alocasia longiloba is sometimes mislabelled as sanderiana
Alocasia sanderiana care
- Substrate
- Chunky, fast-draining aroid mix: 40% orchid bark, 30% perlite, 20% potting compost, 10% charcoal.
- Watering
- Allow the top 2-3cm of substrate to dry between waterings. Reduce in winter.
- Humidity
- 65-85%.
- Feeding
- Balanced liquid fertiliser at quarter to half strength every 3-4 weeks during active growth.
- Repotting
- Every 12-18 months, or when offsets crowd the pot.
Common problems
Sudden leaf loss / dormancy
Cause: Natural seasonal response, normal for this species
Fix: Reduce watering and wait for new growth in spring
Root/corm rot
Cause: Overwatering combined with dense substrate
Fix: Repot into fresh dry chunky mix and reduce watering
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.
- Digital Hygrometer & ThermometerLCD humidity and temperature gauge for checking a grow spot against a plant's target range.
How to propagate Alocasia sanderiana
- Methods
- Rhizome division, Offset (corm/pup). Step-by-step guide
- Difficulty
- Moderate. Rewards a consistent watering and light routine, but tolerates the occasional lapse. Suited to growers with some houseplant experience.
- Time to establish
- 2-4 months
- True from cuttings
- Yes. Cuttings keep the cultivar's character.
- Notes
- Produces basal offsets once mature. Given its endangered wild status, only propagate or acquire nursery-grown/tissue-cultured stock; never wild-collected material.