Newbie here, and I really need some help....
I recently purchased a beautiful Persian Palm that is about 4-1/2 feet tall. Its scientific name is Alocasia Calidora (or so the man at the nursery told me). Could someone please tell me what its needs are? Sun, soil, fertilizer, how often do I water it, what temperature range can it tolerate, care, etc.??? ...My plans are to keep it out on my covered porch this summer (my covered porch is on the east side of my house). I LOVE this plant and would sure appreciate any help.
Also, some of the more mature leaves have a tint of yellow starting around the edges. Does anyone know why? At the nursery, I was told that the spots on the one leaf, are because it was exposed to too much sun and the edges burnt. He said that this plant needs total shade. Is that correct???
I posted 3 pictures in "Tropical Plants" but I'm currently away from home, on vacation, so I cannot upload my photos for this thread and forum. If you would, please check out my pictures of my plant at: http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/f/tropicals/all/ and let me know what I need to do.
Sure appreciate your help!! :)
Glenda
Need help with a Persian Palm (Alocasia Calidora)
The Alocasia x calidora is my hybrid so I am uniquely qualified to answer your questions. BTW, I never named it "persian palm" as it is neither from Persia nor is it a palm! I did the original hybridization in south Florida, which is a long way from Persia. Your specimen is just one of many seedling variants that came out in the cross. Here are some others:
http://www.aroidiaresearch.org/calidora.htm
http://www.aroidiaresearch.org/pixies01.htm
These plants will grow well in partial sun, and the best is for them to get sun in the AM and PM and shade in the middle of the day. They are vigorous growers so they need a good regular fertilization. 1/2 strength Miracle Gro every week is not too much for them, so long as you soak the soil well with the solution. Letting the pot sit in a saucer or tray with the fert solution is the best way; to get it to your plant. Another alternative, especially if you are repotting, is to add Dynamite fertilizer to your soil mix when you are repotting.
The yellow on the edge of the leaves can be due to sunburn, but more likely due to a need for more magnesium. You will notice that this occurs on the older leaves; that is because the plant is moving Mg from the older leaves to the newer ones.
Calidora can take cool temperatures but I recommend keeping your plant protected from freezing. They don't mind getting on the dry side between waterings but don't let them stay dry. Be prepared to pot your plant up in a much larger pot and it will reward you by getting really big.
LariAnn
Aroidia Research
Thank you LariAnn!!
I will get right on the fertilization program. What a great plant!! Everyone who comes to our home asks about it. How long ago did you do the hybridization in south Florida? I purchased this plant from a Christians Greenhouse & Garden Center in Williamston, Michigan. They had it labeled as "Persian Palm". Does it have a correct 'common' name? At Christians Greenhouse & Garden Center, they have an Alocasia Calidora that is about 10-12 feet tall! It is in a massive pot inside one of their greenhouses. It was fun to stand and watch people's faces as they came through the doors and then saw the Alocasia Calidora. They did exactly what I did.... Stop dead in their tracks and their jaws dropped! ...Alocasia Calidora is a very, very cool plant!
While I'm thinking about it, how do I take care of it/what do I do with it, come fall and winter????
Thanks for helping me out!! I'm really enjoying your Alocasia Calidora!
:) Glenda
Glenda,
I did the original work around 1979-80. I never gave the plant a "common name", except for Calidora. If you have yours in a pot and have a big bright or sunlit area in your house, and you want to try keeping yours going throughout winter, you can do that. You can also let it dry down and keep it from freezing, then in Spring, repot in fresh soil and start 'er up again.
Since I did that cross, I've done a whole lot of others, most of which are not on the market. One I have that I did last year is Alocasia odora x Alocasia robusta, or the "Robudora". This one might just be the largest Alocasia that can be grown in the continental United States. They just get bigger and bigger with each leaf, and since they are so new, I don't know how big they will ultimately get.
LariAnn
Aroidia Research
Wow! How BIG exactly is your Robudora? When I saw the one at Christians Greenhouse, I had a "Honey I Shrunk The Kids" feeling. I can't imagine one getting bigger than that!
Are you able to post a picture of your Robudora?? I'd love to see it! If you can, stand next to it or stand something next to it for scale. :)
I will probably store my plant for the winter. We travel quite a bit during the winter months and I'd just feel better if it was safely stored away while we're gone. Do I cut it back to the soil before I store it for the winter? Do I have to let the leaves die first or do anything else to it before I put it away?
......Is it a tuber?
Right now the Robudoras, being about a year old, are not yet as large as my Borneo Giant or Big Mac. Each new leaf is significantly larger than the previous ones. This coming week I hope to take some pictures to post. For now, I do have a page on these plants on my website:
http://www.aroidiaresearch.org/arobudor.htm
I've sent you a dmail with a picture that will show you how big the A. robusta gets.
As for Calidora, you just let it dry down without cutting off the leaves, then when dry you can cut them off. There is a tuberous rhizome underground which, if it grows above the ground, looks somewhat like the trunk of a palm.
LariAnn
Ahh, perfect. I can do that.
I will put your post with my notes for my Calidora.
I d-mailed you back. Thanks for the picture! It's simply amazing how big it got!!! ....The sky's the limit!! ;)
I appreciate your help LariAnn!
:) Glenda