Alocasia Loco: The Complete Collector's Guide

Alocasia 'Loco' is a named hybrid whose parentage is confirmed by Aroidpedia as Alocasia sanderiana × Alocasia longiloba 'Watsoniana', a cross that brings together two of the most celebrated species in the Philippine and Bornean Alocasia worlds. The name 'Loco' captures the somewhat wild, exuberant quality of the hybrid's leaf character: the deep, near-black glossy blade and bold white venation of the sanderiana parent expressed through a leaf form and scale influenced by the larger, more vigorous longiloba 'Watsoniana' parent, creating a plant with more presence and drama than either parent alone delivers in cultivation.

Both parent species are covered in detail in our companion guides. Alocasia sanderiana, the Kris plant, critically endangered endemic to Northern Mindanao, is described fully in our sanderiana guide. Alocasia longiloba 'Watsoniana', the historic Bornean cultivar that also produced Alocasia × amazonica when crossed with sanderiana, is covered in our Watsoniana guide.

The hybrid character of 'Loco' reflects the complementary characteristics of its parents: the sanderiana contributes its near-black, deeply sinuate blade with bold white-to-yellowish primary venation and peltate attachment; the longiloba 'Watsoniana' contributes its velvety surface quality, dark colouration, and the capacity for somewhat larger scale than the compact sanderiana alone achieves. The resulting 'Loco' has larger leaves than pure sanderiana, a somewhat less extreme sinuate margin, and a combined venation and surface character that draws on both parents' best features. The hybrid name is thought to reference the almost frantic, dramatically patterned quality of mature leaves, bold, dark, white-veined, and deeply undulate in a way that commands immediate attention.

Care follows the requirements of both parent species: bright indirect light year-round with LED supplementation from October to March. Temperature 20-27°C, humidity 60-80%. Fluval Stratum substrate, thorough watering when top 2-3cm is dry. Balanced feed from our plant feed range at half strength during the growing season. Heat mat support through UK winters. The sanderiana parent's limestone forest origin suggests that some dolomite addition to the substrate is beneficial.

We release Alocasia Loco through our drop model. Join the collector list and view our Alocasia Loco listing.

Questions about Alocasia Loco or the sanderiana hybrid family? Contact our team for specialist guidance.