Alocasia sarawakensis
Sarawak Alocasia
UK price
£5 to £25
Price by size
- Sold, 90 days
- 0
- Middle half
- -
- Last sold
- -
- On record
- 0
- Sale
- Typical
- Middle half
- Estimate
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About Alocasia sarawakensis
Alocasia sarawakensis is a large-growing Bornean species with broad, dark green, glossy leaves on a robust upright stem, the true wild-type species, distinct from the popular 'Yucatan Princess' cultivar bred from it. It is a substantial architectural plant at maturity, well suited to collectors with the floor space for a large specimen rather than a compact tabletop Alocasia.
Native range
Sarawak, Malaysian Borneo
Classification
- Genus
- Alocasia
- Family
- Araceae
- Type
- Wild
- Growth habit
- Upright, stem-forming rosette
Morphology
- Leaf shape
- Broad sagittateArrowhead-shaped leaves, with pointed lobes at the base pointing downwards. to cordateHeart-shaped foliage, featuring a rounded notch (sinus) where the leaf stem attaches.
- Leaf length
- 35-60 cm
- Leaf width
- 25-45 cm
- Petiole colour
- Green to dark maroon
- Venation
- Prominent, pale against the dark blade
- Texture
- Glossy
- Variegation
- None
- Growth habit
- Upright with a thickening visible stem at maturity
Recent UK sales
No UK eBay sales recorded for this plant yet.
For sale in the UK
Before you buy
- Clarify with the seller whether the plant is true species sarawakensis or the derived 'Yucatan Princess' cultivar
- Consider mature size before buying; this species eventually becomes a substantial floor plant
- Check the corm/base is firm, not soft or mushy
Alocasia sarawakensis care
- Substrate
- Chunky, well-draining aroid mix: 40% potting compost, 30% perlite, 20% orchid bark, 10% horticultural charcoal.
- Watering
- Water when the top 3-5 cm of substrate is dry.
- Humidity
- 60-80% preferred for the largest leaves.
- Feeding
- Balanced liquid fertiliser at half strength every 3-4 weeks during active growth.
- Repotting
- Every 12-18 months, sizing up as the plant grows; this species eventually needs a substantial pot.
Common problems
Slow growth or small leaves
Cause: Insufficient light or a pot too small to support mature growth
Fix: Provide bright indirect light and repot as the plant outgrows its container
Confused with 'Yucatan Princess' at purchase
Cause: Yucatan Princess is a cultivar bred from this species and the two are sometimes conflated by sellers
Fix: Confirm with the seller whether the plant is the true wild-type species or the Yucatan Princess cultivar
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 sarawakensis
- Methods
- Corm offsets, Stem cutting. 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
- 4-8 months
- True from cuttings
- Yes. Cuttings keep the cultivar's character.
- Notes
- Corm offsets can be separated once rooted; mature stems can also be sectioned with a node.