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Species library › Alocasia › Alocasia macrorhizus
Aroids Well documented

Alocasia macrorhizus

Giant taro

Giant taro. 'macrorhizus' is a misspelling of Alocasia macrorrhizos, which is used here. It is a huge, robust aroid native to rainforests of Maritime Southeast Asia, New Guinea and the Torres Strait islands, and has been cultivated across the tropics for thousands of years. It takes more sun than most Alocasia and grows fast when warm, wet and well fed.

At home, aim for
Day Warm-growingTargets in Plantistry
Night Close to the dayTargets in Plantistry
Humidity Ordinary room humidityBand in Plantistry
Light Bright, filtered lightDLI and PPFD in Plantistry
No rest periodGrows in the ground

Where it grows wild

It grows in rainforest gaps, along stream banks and in wet disturbed ground. Cultivated and naturalised plants are widespread in gardens and plantations.

Mainly lowland, from sea level to a few hundred metres.

Maritime Southeast AsiaNew GuineaTorres Strait Islands (Australia)

🔒 Growing it like that

The wild conditions above, turned into targets for a shelf, a tent or a greenhouse. The full profile has:

✓ Day and night temperature targets, and the limits it tolerates
✓ Humidity band, and how to hold it
✓ Light as DLI and PPFD for a grow light
✓ Wet and dry seasons, and whether to rest it
✓ Substrate and airflow
✓ A step-by-step setup to grow it like the wild

Grow Alocasia macrorhizus? Add it to a free garden and its full profile opens. Pro opens all 38,374 profiles in the library, plants and fungi.

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Profiles are drafts built from measured range and climate and from published sources; each section carries its own confidence in the app.