With shimmering green foliage and a height of up to five feet or more, Alocasia ‘Regal Shield’ is a hybrid alocasia that makes a beautiful (if challenging) houseplant.
Known as elephant ears, like other Alocasia, for their large leaves, this particular Alocasia can be a vigorous and fast-growing plant when it’s well-cared for, but it needs very specific growing conditions.
Grow
This tropical plant is used to warm temperatures and high humidity in its native Southeast Asia. Not providing these conditions can prove fatal.
To enjoy vigorous growth and beautiful, healthy-looking foliage, the key things you need to consider are light, temperatures, humidity and the soil or potting mix you use.
Remember too that Alocasia can grow as large as five feet tall and nine feet wide, so they need lots of room to grow. Alocasia Regal Shield is a fast-growing Alocasia plant, with some specimens able to reach five feet tall in two years or less.
These large plants can also grow to nine feet wide in the same time period. Make sure to start them in a large pot that gives them room to expand to avoid having to repot Alocasia Regal Shield in a few months.
While Alocasia Regal Shield can be grown in tropical climates outdoors, be aware that wind storms can damage the plant outdoors by breaking the large leaves off the stems. Usually, of course, this plant is grown indoors year round in temperate climate zones.
Light
Alocasia is a cultivar of a native tropical plant that makes its home on the forest floor beneath a dense cover in the jungle canopy. The sunlight in such an environment is bright and strong but has been filtered by the leaves of the trees above it.
Household Alocasia do best when they are grown in bright indirect sunlight. Since you can’t have a jungle canopy in your living room, the best way to help imitate the natural lighting of this tropical plant is to filter or diffuse the light before it hits the plant’s leaves.
In houseplants, bright indirect sunlight is defined as light that is diffused or filtered before it is allowed to hit the leaves of the plant.
What Happens if Alocasia Regal Shield Is Exposed to Direct Sunlight?
One thing to avoid in Alocasia Regal Shield care is putting the plant in direct sunlight, especially if that sunlight is coming through a window. The intensity of direct sun rays on the elephant ear plant leaves can cause them to become scorched. This can result in the loss of leaves or leaves with a brown, crispy edge.
If you notice that your Alocasia Regal Shield is beginning to brown on the tips of the leaves, it is likely receiving too little light. The elephant ear Alocasia needs to be moved into an area with more indirect light to prevent further damage.
Temperature
Alocasia Regal Shield care is more temperamental when it comes to temperature than some other Alocasia varieties. These plants prefer to live in a temperature range of 70-85 Fahrenheit. Any low temperatures below 65 degrees Fahrenheit will potentially kill the plant.
Alocasia can survive at slightly higher temperatures, but will need extra watering in hot climates. These Regal Shield elephant plants are cold-weather sensitive and will not do well at lower temperatures.
They survive well at most indoor temperatures in an average household. However, the relative lack of high humidity in most indoor environments is something that needs to be addressed to keep this type of elephant ear plant healthy.
Humidity
As a plant used to tropical conditions, Alocasia Regal Shield does best at a high humidity range of 60-90% humidity. This is higher than the humidity range in many homes so you may need to take steps to increase humidity to successfully grow this Alocasia in your home.
Low humidity causes issues with Alocasia foliage, which suffers a stiff texture, crispy leaves, and leaf loss in low-humidity environments. Lack of humidity also leaves Alocasia vulnerable to attacks from pests like spider mites.
To increase humidity you can:
- Use a humidifier.
- Group houseplants together.
- Mist plants regularly.
- Regularly wipe leaves with a damp cloth.
- Place plant pots on pebble trays filled with water.
You can also choose to grow this plant in a more humid room in your home, and can avoid issues by keeping it away from air vents and drafts.
Soil
Like other members of the Alocasia family, Alocasia Regal Shield thrives in nutrient rich soil that is similar in composition to the consistently moist soil of its native Southeast Asia.
In houseplants, this means choosing or making a well-drained potting mix that also retains moisture.
You should add some coco coir for Alocasia plants, as the shredded coconut fiber can provide moisture retention and aeration at the same time. This allows you to keep the Alocasia Regal Shield plant well-watered without inducing waterlogged conditions.
Try this potting mixture for Alocasia Regal Shield:
- One part coco coir and/or peat moss.
- One part rich organic fresh potting soil.
- One part perlite, potting sand, or horticultural grit.
This potting mixture provides plenty of nutrients to heavy-feeding Alocasia plants, but it also provides the free-draining conditions that they need to remain healthy.
Along with making a homemade potting mix, you also have the option to purchase a pre-mixed commercial potting soil formulated for tropical plants. Granular commercial soil mixes that have a high ratio of orchid bark and potting sand will provide the necessary drainage and moisture retention you need for a good care of this type of elephant ear plant.
Care
Alocasia Regal Shield care can be a little more difficult to keep than some other plants like the smaller varieties of Alocasia. However, knowing their best-growing conditions and keeping an eye on the Regal Shield’s condition and appearance can head any potential problems off at the pass.
Watering
Alocasia Regal Shield needs a lot of moisture to thrive, so you should aim to water this houseplant consistently to prevent problems with the foliage.
The best way to determine whether this type of plant is moist enough is to place the tip of your finger in the top of the soil and bury it two inches deep. If no moisture is felt, the plant is dry and needs to be watered. If the plant is moist, it doesn’t need additional water.
Monitor the moisture levels of your plant regularly to prevent it from drying out, as Alocasia is not particularly drought-resistant and will sustain damage without sufficient water. But too much water can also be a problem.
If the soil of the pot for your elephant ear plants becomes saturated with water, this will suffocate the entire root ball and can cause a condition called root rot. Root rot will quickly kill a plant unless it is allowed to dry out slightly between watering sessions.
Using rainwater or distilled water to water these plants can help keep the plant’s foliage in good shape. Some plants don’t react well to the additives and hard minerals found in city tap water systems.
You might consider bottom watering in order to make sure you don’t overwater and that moist but not waterlogged conditions are maintained.
Feeding
Alocasia Regal Shield is a fast-growing and heavy-feeding plant, so it should be fed once a month through the growing season with a balanced, organic houseplant feed.
It is best to dilute the feed to half-strength for indoor houseplants. This can prevent fertilizer burn that will damage the Alocasia’s leaves and potentially stunt its growth rather than aid it.
Propagating Alocasia Regal Shield
Alocasia Regal Shield is usually propagated by cutting away the juvenile plantlets (also known as “pups”) away from the mother plant and repotting them in a new pot on their own.
Mature plants can be divided once they start growing outward from the central rhizome.
To propagate Alocasia Regal Shield:
- Cut the plantlet away from the mother plant using clean, sharp gardening tools.
- Plant the Alocasia juvenile in a rich, well-draining soil.
- Cover the new plant with a cloche to keep humidity relatively high.
- Monitor the new plant for growth while maintaining soil moisture and humidity levels.
Repotting
To prevent this large and fast-growing plant from becoming root-bound, be sure to upgrade to a larger pot for your plant every two years. This will give the plant room to expand its root system and put out new foliage.
Common Problems With Alocasia Regal Shield
Like many tropical plants, Alocasia Regal Shields are hardy as long as its growing conditions are met. However, there are a few common problems you might run into when caring for these beautiful plants.
Pests
Some of the most common pests found on Alocasia Regal Shield are spider mites, springtails, and thrips. Spider mites are the biggest issue many people run into if they keep their Alocasia in a dry or hot environment, since this climate is perfect for spider mite infestations.
To avoid these pests, you’ll want to make sure your Alocasia Regal Shield has plenty of moisture and humidity. When a serious infestation takes hold, you may need to consider organic pesticides – but remember these should only ever be used as a last resort.
Leaves
If the leaves on your Alocasia Regal Shield aren’t looking right, it’s usually an issue with the amount of moisture the plant is getting (or not). One common issue that is seen in the elephant ears leaves is that they begin to curl or get brown and crunchy at the tips. Dead leaves and diseased leaves are often a sign of moisture problems.
These issues mean that the plant is being kept in an area that has less humidity than the plant needs. You should also take a look at how much moisture is in the Alocasia Regal Shield’s pot, as lack of moisture can also cause leaf curling.
Another problem people run into is an Alocasia Regal Shield with leaves that are turning yellow, drooping, or even sweating. If the plant has been watered recently, this is a symptom that suggests there is too much moisture in the soil and the plant may be suffering from rotting roots.
Root Rot
Root rot is the biggest issue that many Alocasia Regal Shield growers run into. Overwatering or waterlogging can cause root rot. This systemic rotting will spread up to the stem and leaves of the plant, eventually killing it. Repotting with some new growing medium may save the plant if you do so in time.
The stunning Alocasia Regal Shield is one of the most impressive Alocasia specimens you can grow in your home if you have the space and the growing requirements it needs to succeed. If you do, this tall, dark beauty is sure to impress your visitors.
