“Jewel” Alocasias (Black Velvet, Dragon Scale, Frydek, Cuprea): specific care

August 22, 2026

There are two families of Alocasias in a home: the large ones, with thin leaves and fast growth (Macrorrhiza, Longiloba, Odora, Wentii), and the small ones with thick, velvety or metallic leaves that collectors call “jewel alocasias” or jewel Alocasias. They're the most sought-after and also the ones most often lost in the first year, almost always from treating them as if they were the large ones. Here's what changes.

What jewel Alocasias have in common

They're understorey plants: they grow at ground level in the jungles of Borneo and the Philippines, with very filtered light. They tolerate less light than the large ones and direct sun burns them within hours.
Thick leaf = less thirst. They store water in the leaf and in the corm. Watered like a Macrorrhiza they rot.
Fine, delicate roots. They ask for a very airy mix (bark, perlite, a little substrate) and a small pot; in a large pot the substrate doesn't dry and the root drowns.
They grow slowly: a new leaf every 4-8 weeks in season is normal. They usually keep only 3-5 leaves at a time and drop the oldest when they open a new one.
They go dormant easily if they drop below 18 °C. How to manage it is in Alocasia in winter.

One by one

Alocasia Black Velvet (Alocasia reginula)

Native to Borneo. Almost black, velvety leaf, with silvery veins. It's the one that best tolerates low light, but also the one that rots soonest: let the substrate dry well between waterings and avoid wetting the leaf, which holds water in the velvet. Its variegated forms (Black Velvet Pink, Black Velvet Albo) are even slower.

Alocasia Dragon Scale and Silver Dragon (Alocasia baginda)

The two are the same species from Borneo, with a rigid leaf and scale-like texture. Dragon Scale is dark green with marked veining; Silver Dragon, silvery and a bit smaller. They want high humidity (60% or more) so the new leaf unrolls without getting stuck, and a very coarse mix. If the leaf turns yellow along the edge in a uniform way, it's almost always too much water. We have their corms in the albo variant when in stock.

Alocasia Frydek (Alocasia micholitziana)

From the Philippines. Dark green velvety leaf with very clean white veins. It's the most sensitive to hard water and cold: brown edges with very chalky tap water and a dead stop below 16 °C. Rainwater or filtered water and a warm spot change it. The Frydek Albo needs more light than the green one to keep the white.

Alocasia Cuprea

From Borneo. Metallic, coppery leaf, with a plastic-like look. It's the most demanding with humidity (better in a cabinet or grow cabinet) and the one that copes worst with changes of location: every move costs it a leaf. It grows very slowly; a Cuprea with 4 healthy leaves is a happy plant.

The routine we use at home with the jewels

Light: a north- or east-facing window, or a grow lamp at 40-50 cm. Never midday sun.
Watering: when the substrate is dry halfway down the pot, not just on top. In winter, much less.
Mix: fine bark, coarse perlite and quality substrate, in equal parts; an 8-10 cm pot for young plants.
Humidity: 60-70%. Cabinet, cupboard or humidifier. Misting doesn't work.
Feeding: at a quarter dose every 3-4 waterings in the growing season. They're small; they burn easily.
Watch out: check the underside every week. The spider mite attacks the jewels sooner because they live in more enclosed environments.

If one of our jewels has arrived, in the first week follow the routine for acclimatisation and don't repot it until you see a new leaf. And if you're torn between two, write to us at info@marinasjunglegems.com telling us what light you have: that's what decides.

Texto redactado con ayuda de inteligencia artificial y publicado por el equipo de Marina’s Jungle Gems.