Alocasia Pollination Hybrid Experiment - Borneo Giant - Odora! - Rare & Exotic Alocasia Elephant Ear Plant for sale

Since my enthusiasm for plants has grown, last year I finally began to try my hand at cross pollination and reproduction via seeds of certain alocasias to get true & stable, also different, new & unusual forms. Usually once a plant is hybridized, the seeds from the hybrid plant are not viable... not always, but most of the time this is true. It's generally easy to get them to flower, the hard part is to get the seeds pollinated! After a few tries, I was successful with these below last year and this year. In the wild, the flowers are mainly pollinated by certain beetles, bees and other insects from the rain forests. Since we don't have them naturally here in the United States, we just hope that the wind blows the right direction at the right time.

So far so good. You can tell that a seed pod has taken to the pollination efforts when it does not rot away after the bloom dies. If it did not take, then the pod will fall over, turn yellow and rot about a week or two after the flower is gone. After about 2 months of waiting, the pod will literally burst open exposing the new fresh seeds. And if you're standing there at the time, you'll see it as if someone placed firecrackers in it.

The great thing about seed grown aroids is that there is always a chance of a new plant that varies from the normal. Mutations can occur in tissue culture as well but are more apt to be durable and stable in seed grown varieties. Once you get one, then it can be tissue cultured and appreciated by the masses.

The top row of photos below this paragraph are from this years pollination between two A. Macrorrhiza Borneo Giant plants. The bottom row & below are photos from my first hybrid Alocasia I successfully cross pollinated, but it is not ready for market or maybe never will be. They need time to see just what they will look like, how cold hardy, what the finished product will look like and how stable they are, etc. A couple are finally getting to some good size and should be very large in a couple months. I will show pics as they grow. Out of the 15 seedlings that lived, a few are beginning to look distinct from one another and I am hoping that they will have their place as a new plant in the vast horticulture world. Whether it catches on as a household favorite or not is moot at this point as I am satisfied with the results of this project simply because it was successful. The most stable attributes so far are that the veins seem to be fewer with wider spaces between them than most (any that I know about) other large leafed Alocasia species and the edges are slightly undulate similar to the Borneo Giant. The variations are that some of the plants are larger than others of the same crossing by extreme sizes and some are growing extremely slower compared to the rest. Some have end lobes that meet sharply at the petiole and some are together 'lipped' or shelved away from it. A few are still only 6 inches tall and all have received the same care and light etc. Most of the larger ones have the stem variegation but who knows if it will remain as the plants grow larger. I think so though, going by the current size of the plants. One of the plants that is still about 3 ft tall has very very light green stems and are closer to white than yellow. The smaller plants do not have this trait yet and look like many alocasia seedlings (no noticeable differences in them except being extremely small! I am anxious to see how large they all get by the winter 2005 and how well they will stand up to zone 8/9 weather. I will leave a few outside unprotected except for mulching and tree hammock covering from frost. A frost will melt just about any tropical plant's leaves. I have a feeling that in the next two years there will be more than a few new very large leafed, easy to grow, hardier Alocasia plants to choose from for your garden. I hope my efforts are included in the appreciation of at least one. fun, Fun Fun!


Seed Pod Just before Erupting Around 5pm	Seed Pod After Erupting 10pm	Seed Pod the Next Morning 7am	Seed Pod peeled open


1st Hybrid - Stem Variegation	1st Hybrid - Young Leaf	1st Hybrid Alocasia 3-30-05	David's 1st Hybrid 7-27-05


Seedlings w/ minor Variegation	4+ Feet Tall	More Stem Striation	More Mature

The cross is from two large growing, cold hardiest known types of Alocasia species and the leaves so far on the largest plant are almost 3 feet long and the overall height of the plant is about 5 feet (almost as tall as me with a new leaf unfurling). It looks similar to the newly introduced (2005) Alocasia Inoranta or Inornata (I believe to be the correct spelling), but this plant is from my alocasia cross project and I have not seen the slightly variegated stripped stems on the A. Inornata that are being grown. Also, the leaf end lobes where they meet the petioles are closed (or shelved as I call it) when young and looked very much like an A. Odora until it finally grows larger. The other difference from the A. Inornata is that the A. Inornatas have a silvery, darker sheen to them until they grow a few leaves and these never had that on any of the plants. One extra trait that is noticed in my Alocasia 'x' is that the stems are almost white in certain light. Over all it is a light green Alocasia that is larger than a medium size and would be well suited for the landscape for its overall appeal and hardiness to cold. It also is an easy growing Alocasia that requires very little attention. So it will take much abuse unless planted outside in direct, full sun with no watering. Still, a few have managed to stay alive if they had been accustomed to that environment and already established. They just will not look their best and this abuse usually stunts them until a regular watering cycle takes place. I have not seen many either and may be a coincidence being that there are variances in the A. Inornata found by Scott Hyndman in Bangkok in 2004. It could be the same hybrid as what I have just naturally occurring. but I am skeptical to this opinion as I have watched both plants grow from 2 inches to full size and are different in each stage of the plant's lives.

As of summer 2007 I am noting that these withstood the last two winter's freezing temperatures with only tree hammock or shade cloth protection. The ones that were left directly to receive the frosts did of course get melted but they all came back as soon as weather allowed. So this is a very hardy Alocasia. They should be ready in mid 2008 if life doesn't take a wrong turn.

Cross pollinating to create a hybrid usually results in a few variants from the seedlings and one cross attempt may produce 5 or more different plants from the same seed pod. Very cool! The largest one has only grown about 10-12 leaves since germination. The seedlings grew through the winter (or survived only growing about one leaf every 3-4 weeks), but I have a feeling that a few of these are going to get very large by this winter 2005, time will tell. We certainly have the hot and humid conditions to provoke a plant to get to its potential. When the plants were smaller they all had a bit of variegation on the upper side of the leaves, either darker green or lighter green (some almost white) in irregular patterns or lighter yellowish in color, but nothing like an Alocasia Albo Macrorrhiza and the pigment never went all the way though the leaf. They finally outgrew this as many young variegated bananas do. Maybe it will come back, but I don't think so. These are one of a kind as far as I know. If anyone knows of a similar plant, please let me know, I'd like to compare notes. info@centralfloridafarms.com.

There are many folks out there trying to hybrid tropicals and introduce new plants into the world for all to enjoy. The horticulture world needs new plants. I am hoping for many more by next spring depending on the cooperation of the plant blooms. Some plants are very difficult to get to take to pollination efforts, some are very easy. The plant in the photo cell above is about 5 ft tall now (last picture on bottom row right). When that picture was taken (2nd row, 3rd thumbnail from left), it was about 2 feet tall in a one gallon.

The center plant pictured below this paragraph is one of the parent Alocasia Borneo Giant plants. Surrounding them are about 5 different types of other large alocasias. When they flower, if you're lucky, another one will flower at the same time and is when the opportunity arises. You must seize that moment. The window for successful pollination is slim! I don't know if this happens for all, but with my plants... when they bloom, they seem to stop producing big leaves and the energy is focused on the seed pod. Fine with me as long as I get seeds otherwise I'm snipping off the bloom. These finally began to get large when they stopped flowering and now it seems that there is no stopping them! I hope. I want to see these dudes get HUGE this year. There is a fourth leaf now and ill wait until it gets above the other three and see what kind of pic we'll get from that. The middle leaf is well above our heads now and stands about 6+ feet tall.

They are getting about 4-5 hours of direct afternoon hot sun and are leaning in that direction since its shady above them and behind.

Alocasia Macrorrhiza Borneo Giant (var) - Zone 8b - 11 - Second Largest Undivided Leafed plant in the world. These were considered the largest until the Alocasia Robusta Sarawak were discovered a few years ago. They are upright leaves that grow to height of 15 feet and the stems can grow to 10 feet tall! Probably larger in warmer locations. They are fast reproducers, creating 'pups' around the base of the mother plant. When mature they have dark greenish blue leaves give yet another wonderful addition to your scene. Like most elephant ears, these love moist situations but can grow anywhere once established. They like partial shade but will grow strong in full sun if watered well. Fast growing and an excellent addition to your collection! Seed grown, Not Tissue Culture plants.

These are excellent plants for someone that wants a hardy, low maintenance plant that grows VERY LARGE, in a short amount of time!

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Other plants we have available include: Ensete Maurelii, Maurellii, Glaucum, ventricosum ornamental and edible Musa Banana plants, Colocasia Gigantea, Elepaio, royal hilo, black ruffles, black runners, ruffles, taro, elephant ears, giant, alocasia Borneo giant, Robusta, Remusatia Pumila, Alcantarea Imperialis Vriesa, Anthurium faustmirandae, Amorphophallus titanum, Dr. Moy variegated Ginger, Nancy's Revenge & nancyana.

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