Alocasia melo has thick, stiff, grey-green leaves with a deeply pitted surface that feels more like cast metal or stone than a leaf.
It grows on limestone in Borneo, in thin pockets of debris rather than soil, which is the key to how it should be potted.
Light
Alocasia melo grows best in medium to bright indirect light. It comes from shaded limestone and has never seen direct sun.
Too much light
The surface bleaches and the pitted texture flattens.
Too little light
Growth stops, and this species is very slow to restart.
Watering
Water when the top 3cm (1 inch) is dry. The corm is small and the roots are fine and short, so wet soil kills it quickly.
On average:
- Spring & summer: once a week
- Autumn & winter: once every 2-3 weeks
Signs of overwatering
- Leaves yellow and drop suddenly
- Stalks soften at soil level
- Soil stays wet for days
Signs of underwatering
- Leaves droop and stalks bend
- Leaf edges curl
Humidity and temperature
Humidity of 70% or above. This is a cabinet plant.
Keep it between 20°C and 28°C (68-82°F).
Soil and repotting
Soil
Very free-draining. Given where it grows in the wild, most growers use pure sphagnum, or a bark and perlite mix with almost no compost.
Repotting
Rarely, and only in spring.
Feeding
Quarter-strength balanced fertiliser once a month in spring and summer. Nothing in winter.
Pruning and grooming
Remove fully yellowed leaves at the base. Dust settles in the pitted surface, so brush it out gently with a soft dry brush.
Dormancy
It goes dormant readily and can sit as a bare corm for months. Keep barely damp and warm.
Common problems
Sudden leaf loss
Dormancy or rot. Check the corm.
Flattened, dull texture
Too much light.
Crispy edges
Humidity too low.
Extremely slow growth
Normal. This is one of the slowest Alocasia in cultivation.