Upright Elephant Ear

There’s always that one lucky sibling that’s taller, and in the case of Elephant Ear plants, it’s the Upright Elephant Ear or Alocasia Portodora. Unlike its fellow Southeast Asian sibling whose leaves grow outwards, the Alocasia Portodora leaves grow upwards to make an altogether different, yet beautiful, indoor plant.

While the Elephant Ear plants share a family resemblance - they are air purifying and are both toxic to pets and children - the similarities stop there. Alocasia Portodora care is still low-maintenance, but quite different.

The Upright Elephant Ear plant prefers to be kept in direct sunlight in a humid room (between 15-25°C), so the bathroom is the perfect home for this indoor plant. You should water them little yet often (keep that soil moist at all times) and mist them daily if your room isn't humid enough.

The Upright Elephant Ear grows pretty fast and can reach heights of 3m. If you want their leaves to grow even faster, feed them regularly. If your Alocasia Portodora leaves are drooping, then mist them more often or move the plant to a humid room. Notice your leaves sweating, you may be over watering them so lay off it for a couple of days. Don't be tempted to soak the soil if leaves start to fall in winter - this is normal and they will brighten back up in spring.

At Prickle, we are always here to hear you! Send us your Upright Elephant Ear questions @Prickleplantsuk.