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Elephant Ear

Alocasia sarawakensis, Araceae

Sources last read 14 September 2026.

Not yet rated How forgiving it is has not been judged here yet.

Also called Yucatan Princess.

Elephant Ear (Alocasia sarawakensis), the whole plant.
Bernard DUPONT from FRANCE, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Elephant Ear is toxic

  • Not assessed for cats. This plant is not on the ASPCA list. That is not a finding of safety: none of the sources read for this site gives an answer either way. Treat it as unknown.
  • Not assessed for dogs. This plant is not on the ASPCA list. That is not a finding of safety: none of the sources read for this site gives an answer either way. Treat it as unknown.
  • Toxic to people. Toxic when eaten; irritates skin and eyes. Use gloves and protective gear when handling it. Toxic to pets; for more details and helpful contact numbers, consult the HTA guide on potentially harmful plants. RHS

What the sources say about its care

Sources file this plant under other names: Alocasia sarawakensis 'Yucatan Princess'. Citations below point at the name its source uses.

Light
Partial shade
RHS · read 13 September 2026
Water
Moist but well-drained or Poorly-drained
RHS · read 13 September 2026
Humidity

No source read publishes a humidity figure for any plant on this site. What follows is general guidance for foliage plants.

ASHRAE recommends indoor relative humidity between 30% and 60% 30–60%
Penn State Extension · read 13 September 2026
Temperature

How cold this tolerates, not what it prefers. No source read for this site publishes a preferred range for a plant indoors.

H1B — 10–15°C 10–15 °C
RHS · read 13 September 2026
Soil
Chalk, Loam, Sand; pH Alkaline or Neutral
RHS · read 13 September 2026
Toxic to cats
Not on the ASPCA list. That is not a finding of safety.
ASPCA · read 13 September 2026
Toxic to dogs
Not on the ASPCA list. That is not a finding of safety.
ASPCA · read 13 September 2026
Harmful to people
Toxic when eaten; irritates skin and eyes. Use gloves and protective gear when handling it. Toxic to pets; for more details and helpful contact numbers, consult the HTA guide on potentially harmful plants.
RHS · read 13 September 2026

Routine care

Watering
Water and feed regularly. Water less in winter and move it back into the garden in spring.
NC State Extension, filed as Alocasia sarawakensis 'Yucatan Princess' · read 13 September 2026
From spring to autumn, water generously and feed every 2-3 weeks with a general liquid fertiliser. In winter, cut watering to a minimum and hold the temperature above 12°C.
RHS · read 13 September 2026
Feeding
Give water and fertilizer on a regular basis.
NC State Extension, filed as Alocasia sarawakensis 'Yucatan Princess' · read 13 September 2026
From spring to autumn, water generously and feed every 2-3 weeks with a general liquid fertiliser.
RHS · read 13 September 2026
Propagation
Divide in spring or summer, or take stem cuttings in spring.
RHS · read 13 September 2026
Pruning
Pruning is not needed.
RHS · read 13 September 2026
Pests and diseases
Can be troubled by mealybugs and glasshouse red spider mite. Diseases: usually none.
RHS · read 13 September 2026

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About the plant

Alocasia sarawakensis is a species of flowering plant in the elephant ear genus Alocasia, native to Borneo. Unusually for an aroid, it is a freshwater swamp forest obligate, preferring well-lit situations. A large species, it can reach 8 ft (2.4 m). A cultivar, 'Yucatan Princess', is commercially available.

From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · read 13 September 2026

Native range
Borneo
World Checklist of Vascular Plants, June 2026 release, CC BY.
Kew WCVP · read 13 September 2026
Borneo
RHS · read 13 September 2026
Climate
wet tropical
World Checklist of Vascular Plants, June 2026 release, CC BY.
Kew WCVP · read 13 September 2026
Growth form
subshrub or shrub
World Checklist of Vascular Plants, June 2026 release, CC BY.
Kew WCVP · read 13 September 2026
Herbaceous Perennial; habit erect
NC State Extension, filed as Alocasia sarawakensis 'Yucatan Princess' · read 13 September 2026
Bushy, Clump forming (evergreen)
RHS · read 13 September 2026
Size
Height 48–96 in; width 36–72 in
NC State Extension, filed as Alocasia sarawakensis 'Yucatan Princess' · read 13 September 2026
Height 1-1.5 metres; spread 1-1.5 metres after 5–10 years
RHS · read 13 September 2026
Flowering
Flowers cream/tan, white
NC State Extension, filed as Alocasia sarawakensis 'Yucatan Princess' · read 13 September 2026
Uses

What sources record people using this plant for. A traditional or medicinal use listed here is a record of use, not advice to eat it or treat anything with it.

The corm and stem are edible only after thorough cooking, which destroys their calcium oxalate crystals. Cooked, they can be eaten as a vegetable or added to soups and stews.
NC State Extension, filed as Alocasia sarawakensis 'Yucatan Princess' · read 13 September 2026

Other Alocasia

More of the Araceae family

Plants with similar care

Sources

What this does not cover

The figures above are what published sources say, not measurements of the plant in your room. They say nothing about your pot size, your water, the season, or how far from the glass the plant stands, and those decide more than any figure here does.

Humidity has no species figure because no source read for this site publishes one, and the only temperature published for this plant is a cold floor. The simulator fills those gaps with general figures for its kind of plant, marked as general and listed on how we read sources. Where a toxicity row says the plant was not assessed, that is the absence of a finding and not a finding of safety.

If something is already wrong, the diagnosis tool asks about the soil, the window and the watering, which is where the answer usually is.