Here at Uncommon Canopy we offer one of the most sought-after houseplants: the Alocasia Frydek (Alocasia micholitziana 'Frydek') with white variegation. This gorgeous plant can display variegation naturally but it is an unstable mutation, which means that cultivators must encourage selection for it through tissue culture growing.
Native to the tropical rainforests of the Philippines, the Alocasia Frydek enjoys similar indoor conditions to other aroids. Water when the top inch or so of its well-draining soil is dry; maintain temperatures between 65 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit; and keep it in bright, indirect light like an East-facing window or in partial shade if outdoors.
One quirky thing that sets this plant apart from other houseplants is that, even indoors, it will likely drop all of its leaves and go dormant in the winter. This is triggered by cooler temperatures and shorter hours of light exposure. If you want to avoid this you will need to add extra lighting like grow lights in winter and set them to a schedule of at least 12 hours on and 12 hours off.
Nomenclature Nonsense
“Alocasia” is actually a combination of words: the Greek prefix “a”, meaning “without,” and the Genus “Colocasia,” which is a related but different species. Alocasias were separated from Colocasias because of a few key differences, namely that Alocasias produce tubers (bulb-like root) and rhizomes (underground stems that crawl along and pop up with new growth away from the main plant) while Colocasias only produce tubers.
The species (micholitziana) is named for German plant collector Wilhelm Micholitz. I could not find the origin for the word “Frydek,” so if anyone knows please send me a comment!
Fun Fact
Once mature, your Alocasia Frydek may flower! This is rare when they are grown strictly indoors, but it can happen. Since the flowers are relatively plain and don’t have a smell we humans are attracted to, many collectors will just cut them off when they emerge to prevent the plant from wasting the energy involved in developing them.
