Alocasia ‘Bisma’

Origin and identity of Alocasia ‘Bisma’

Alocasia ‘Bisma’ is an unresolved silver-leaved Alocasia from West Kalimantan on Borneo. Its exact botanical identity and natural habitat remain unknown.

Care for Alocasia ‘Bisma’

Light: Give ‘Bisma’ plenty of bright filtered light, with mild direct sun introduced gradually.

Temperature: Keep ‘Bisma’ within roughly 20–28 °C for routine growth, with protection from prolonged exposure below 18 °C.

Humidity: Maintain ambient humidity at roughly 60–80% through active growth. Keep a small amount of air moving through the foliage.

Watering: After watering, wait until the mix has lost some moisture, then water before it dries through. Moisten the full root zone and leave the pot to drain before returning it to its outer container.

Potting mix: Use a loose mix that holds enough moisture for the roots without becoming dense.

Feeding: Use a complete houseplant fertiliser at low to moderate strength while Alocasia ‘Bisma’ is forming new leaves. Use less fertiliser during slower growth and pause if growth stops.

Repotting: A well-filled root ball signals repotting time; use a modestly larger pot without a large jump in size.

Propagation: Detach a well-rooted offset carefully so its root system remains with it. Move the offset into its own container and keep it warm while the root system establishes.

Fine speckles, scratched new leaves and a sour-smelling base

• Fine pale speckles or dusty-looking patches appear on the leaves: Check underneath and along the main veins for spider mites or fine webbing. Move the plant away from others if you find them. Use a treatment labelled for spider mites on indoor ornamental plants, and repeat it only as directed on the label.
• New leaves open with rough, scraped-looking streaks or distorted areas: Check the newest growth before it unfurls fully, looking for thrips or their tiny black specks. Isolate the plant if you find them. Use a treatment labelled for thrips on indoor ornamental plants, and repeat it only as directed on the label.
• A leaf stalk starts yellowing from the base and the pot smells sour: Take the plant out of the pot and check the roots and base. With a clean, disinfected blade, cut only confirmed rotten, mushy tissue back to firm growth and discard it before repotting in fresh, airy mix. If you are unsure about a firm root or section of the base, leave it in place.
• New leaves are noticeably smaller and softer than before: Check that the plant has enough bright indirect light and steady warmth. If those conditions are good, inspect the roots. Deal with any root problem before adding more fertiliser.

Alocasia ‘Bisma’: toxic if chewed

• Pets: This Alocasia is toxic to cats and dogs. Keep the plant and any cut pieces where pets cannot chew them.
• Children and handling: Keep it out of reach of children. Sap from damaged tissue can irritate skin and eyes, so wash your hands after pruning and avoid touching your face.
• Why it irritates: Alocasia tissue contains insoluble calcium oxalate crystals. Chewing or contact with sensitive tissue can cause immediate local irritation.
• Possible symptoms: Mouth exposure can cause burning pain, drooling, swelling, nausea or vomiting, and difficulty swallowing.
• After exposure: For a pet, contact a veterinarian. For a person, remove any plant material from the mouth and rinse with water; seek medical or poison-control advice if symptoms are significant. Breathing difficulty or rapidly increasing swelling needs urgent medical attention.

Botanical name history for Alocasia ‘Bisma’

Heinrich Wilhelm Schott introduced Alocasia in 1832 as a section within Colocasia. George Don published Alocasia at genus rank in 1839. The accepted conserved author citation is Alocasia (Schott) G.Don.