Plant Profile: Alocasia Red Secret

Alocasia Red Secret (Alocasia Cuprea) is a member of the Alocasia plant family and is quickly becoming one of its most popular species. The foliage of Alocasia Cuprea “Red Secret” is extraordinary, with a metallic gleam to it. It’s a fantastically decorative plant! Its red-like leaves with dark, almost black markings are stunning and eye-catching. This Alocasia maintains its compactness and is suitable for terrariums. However, when compared to other plants, this one requires a bit more care and attention to keep alive, so keep reading for our Alocasia Cuprea care guide.

Allow to fully dry between waterings, use a fast-draining potting mix, and provide bright light and good ventilation, as with other thick-leaved Alocasia. Alocasia is susceptible to a variety of serious fungal infections due to over-watering, wet leaves, and soggy soil. Black Magic will require less water during the winter when it is dormant than it will during the summer when it is actively growing.

Please keep in mind that Jewel Alocasias (as they are also known) are far less tolerant of moist soil than the other thinner leaf varieties.

When ingested, alocasia is toxic to both humans and animals.

Humidity

Because this plant is native to Borneo, it should come as no surprise that it prefers higher humidity levels. If you live in a drier climate, we recommend using a humidifier because arid air can quickly dry out the leaves of this plant, causing irreversible damage. If you do not want to use a humidifier, there are other options for increasing humidity for your plants. Our first tip is to place your Alocasia on top of a watered pebble tray to try to create a microclimate around it. You can also leave jars and bowls of water around your plants, and we’ve discovered that misting them can be extremely beneficial.

Watering

Your Alocasia Cuprea will want to dry out between waterings, but it is a plant that requires regular watering. If you let it dry out or forget to water it, it will suffer damage. Watering this plant from the bottom up is preferable to watering from the top down. This allows the plant to absorb the necessary moisture. Like most plants, it prefers to be watered on a regular basis, but that doesn’t mean it should be sitting in soggy soil.

Light

If you place this plant in direct sunlight, the leaves will scorch and burn, especially if you have a south or west facing window. These plants, on the other hand, require indirect light. It would grow under the canopy of other trees on the forest floor in its natural environment, so providing it with shaded and dappled light will help to recreate its natural environment.

Temperature

Keep your Alocasia Cuprea away from drafts because they don’t like being cold, and away from radiators and heating systems because they can dry out. Your plant should be kept at a temperature of around 20°C. It can withstand higher temperatures as long as the air does not become too dry, but it will suffer if temperatures fall too low.SoilAs with most watered plants, you’ll want a well-draining soil so that excess liquid can drain and your roots don’t become soggy. We would also recommend aerating your soil with perlite.

Fertiliser

Make sure to only fertilize your plant during the growing season and to leave it alone during the winter. Feeding your plant once every two weeks should suffice, and make sure to dilute the strength of your fertiliser as too strong a plant feed can cause burning on the leaves. To summarize, in order to properly care for an Alocasia Cuprea, you will require:

• Rays of light

• Waterings on a regular basisa lot of humidity

• Soil that drains well

• Fertilizer diluted

Your Red Secret plant should thrive if you follow these basic guidelines. If it’s struggling, try changing things one at a time to see what makes a difference in your plant’s health. When you change everything at once, it can be difficult to tell what worked and what was just a coincidence.