Alocasia Flowers: 5 Common Questions Answered (with photos)

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Have you been curious to learn more about Alocasia flowers, and what it means when you see them? Technically, they would be considered an Alocasia inflorescence, and I’ll explain later in this concise, informative post. Keep reading to learn all about Alocasia flowers and see the answers to the most common questions that people typically have concerning blooming Alocasias.

ALL ABOUT THE ALOCASIA FLOWER

1. WHAT DOES AN ALOCASIA FLOWER LOOK LIKE?

Technically, it is actually an inflorescence that you see on your Alocasia. Like all plants in the aroid (Araceae) plant family, Alocasias have a distinct inflorescence and they will all look pretty similar to each other.

In the illustrated photo below, the central, narrow structure in the middle is called the spadix, and the wider, green structure behind it is the spathe, which is technically a modified leaf. Below these two is an enlarged growth called the floral chamber.

In Alocasias, the female flowers are tiny and are hidden in the floral chamber, while the male flowers are on the upper part of the spadix. So while the majority of people call the spadix+spathe structure a flower, it is technically called an inflorescence.

The color, size and shape of the inflorescence will all vary a bit depending on the species of Alocasia, but they will all look fairly similar.

It is important to understand the floral structure if you want to experiment with pollinating Alocasia.

2. IS IT RARE FOR ALOCASIA TO FLOWER INDOORS?

Contrary to what you may have read in many posts online, it is NOT rare that they flower indoors.

The word rare has been used very loosely when it comes to plants, and it is simply not true that they rarely flower indoors.

Although many plants ARE shy bloomers indoors, Alocasia really isn’t one of them.

I have witnessed many Alocasia plants bloom indoors, as well have received many messages from my excited readers when they have sent me photos of their Alocasia inflorescences, asking what they are.

Alocasias will bloom when they are happy, and also when they are stressed (and you should know by looking at your plant if it is stressed or not!). If your plant is blooming, it is not necessarily an indication that your plant is in tip top shape.

3. WHAT TO DO WHEN ALOCASIA FLOWERS?

You can do one of two things:

1. Leave it and enjoy it (although they’re really not that interesting and we grow Alocasias for their foliage and not the flowers.
2. Cut off the entire inflorescence.

4. SHOULD I LET MY ALOCASIA FLOWER?

I would recommend always cutting off your Alocasia inflorescences as soon as you spot them.

The reason is that your plant will expend energy sustaining that growth, and most of us would rather redirect the plant’s energy into foliage growth instead. It’s really that simple.

5. WHERE TO CUT ALOCASIA FLOWER?

Like I’m showing you in the photo below, take a pair of sharp, sterilized pruners and cut as low as you can on the inflorescence stalk.

Take a look at all the ones I cut off below all from the same plant and in different stages of development.

At a bare minimum, to practice good hygiene, cut off the inflorescences after they are spent and don’t let them accumulate on your plant. It is best if you can cut them off as soon as you notice them though.

RELATED RESOURCES

I have many posts on my site on how to grow various Alocasia plants, but you may want to start with my post on Alocasia types to get familiar with all the beautiful varieties out there.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this post on Alocasia flowers. Have any of your Alocasia bloomed? Comment below. I’d love to hear!