{"product_id":"alocasia-watsoniana-doff-variegated","title":"Alocasia watsoniana 'Doff' Variegated","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAlocasia watsoniana 'Doff' Variegated\u003c\/strong\u003e is a collector's \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/alocasia\"\u003eelephant ear\u003c\/a\u003e with pointed, oval leaves in deep green, a deeply quilted surface and bold silvery white veins. Over that dark base runs variegation: marbling, speckles and patches of cream and pale yellow that differ from one leaf to the next. The variegation is chimeral, which means it is unstable. No two plants look the same, a new leaf can arrive heavily marked, lightly marked or plain green, and the pattern on the current leaves is no promise of what comes next. That unpredictability is exactly what makes \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/variegated-house-plants\"\u003evariegated Alocasia\u003c\/a\u003e so sought after, and it is worth understanding before you buy.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOrigins\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAlocasia watsoniana was named in the Gardeners' Chronicle in 1893 and has been in cultivation ever since. The RHS still lists it under that name, while Kew's Plants of the World Online treats it as a synonym of Alocasia longiloba, a variable species found from southern China through mainland Southeast Asia to western Malesia. That is why you will also see it sold as Alocasia longiloba 'Watsoniana'. It is recorded as one of the parents of the African mask, Alocasia × amazonica. 'Doff' is a trade designation that sellers attach to one particular line of this plant, in plain green as well as variegated forms. It is not a registered cultivar name and where it comes from has not been documented. Like all Alocasia it belongs to the arum family, Araceae.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCare\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eGive it bright, indirect light and keep it out of direct sun. The pale sections hold little chlorophyll, so they scorch easily, yet the plant still needs good light to keep growing. Water once the top 5cm of an airy, free draining \u003ca href=\"\/products\/alocasia-mix-alocasia-potting-substrate\"\u003ecompost\u003c\/a\u003e has dried, then let the excess run away, as it rots quickly if left sitting wet. \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/humidity-loving-houseplants\"\u003eHigh humidity\u003c\/a\u003e makes a real difference, because cream tissue browns and crisps in dry air, so use a humidifier, a pebble tray or a group of plants, with gentle air movement to keep leaf spots at bay. Keep it warm, ideally 18 to 28C while growing and never below 15C. In winter growth slows and it may drop leaves or rest back to its corm, so cut watering right down and keep it warm rather than assuming it has died. Every part of the plant is toxic if eaten and the sap can irritate skin, so keep it away from pets and children and wear gloves when handling it.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"GrowTropicals","offers":[{"title":"9cm","offer_id":58312334344575,"sku":"LPSAUG10","price":75.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0361\/9645\/0348\/files\/doff.jpg?v=1789135197","url":"https:\/\/growtropicals.com\/products\/alocasia-watsoniana-doff-variegated","provider":"GrowTropicals","version":"1.0","type":"link"}