Colocasia Gigateae Elepant Ear Alocasia.

taken today 20 July

 

Spruce - that looks superb, and already a very good size.

 

This alocasia has decided to flower, must admit it dont look too impressive at the moment.

 

Spruse that looks ace have you grown it from a tuba or bought it as a plant

 

The flower probably heralds smaller leaves too

 

Thanks ... yes I am quite proud and its getting bigger more leaves yet to come

I bought as a tuber from http://www.angliabulbs.com/crinum/ it was the size of a turnip .
My goddaughter shouted and she is only 6 when she 1st saw it which made us all laugh , she just stood and stared at it for a few minutes , then as a treat I said she could use the magic watering can to water it

 

The flower has opened and as expected not very spectacular.
Has a strange scent though, not nasty, but then again not really pleasant, took me a while to work out what the smell was when I was eating my dinner tonight.



Another sideways one, thanks to my new super modern lap top, that seems unable to work out which way is up.

 

I have not heard that before. But I have never had an Alocasia or a Colocasia flower. Is there a reason why?

Pete - how old does it have to be to flower?

 

I'm guessing the smaller leaves "thing", comes from the fact that it will probably branch, and so for a while after, the leaves will be smaller.
I've heard that said of T rex, but one down the road from me flowered last summer, and the leaves are bigger this year, than last.

My Alocasia is only a couple of summers old, but the first time I've overwintered in the conservatory, min temp 50F at night, and rising to 68F on most days at some point.

 

New leaves on my T. rex are smaller once flower buds have started to appear. No bearing on leaf size next yet (well ... until it starts to flower next year too!). I think the biggest leaves on mine are on 3-year-old-plants, prior to being mature enough to flower, so I am contemplating propagating some, in rotation, to always have 3 year olds in the garden

Mine started to flower in the Spring this year, much earlier than usual - presumably a side effect of the ultra mild winter, so the leaf size is pants ... the other, younger one, has ginormous leaves though

 

Kristen, maybe like rhubarb, you should cut off the flowering stem before it fully develops?

 

Wasn't expecting this, another flower has come from the same point, while a new stem is forming, growing leaves, and they are smaller.

 

3rd August
I think getting bigger






this is what it looked like last time I posted

 

Another from me too!

For comparison, here's a photo that an "online buddy" took of some growing of some growing in a pond at Fullerton Arboretum in San Diego California...................


Comparing the two I would say that you've done a brilliant job @Spruce !