Alocasia Corms and How to Grow Them

Alocasia corms are small, firm storage structures that grow beneath the soil around the parent plant. Each healthy corm has the potential to become a new plant with warmth, moisture, and patience.

How to grow Alocasia from corms

1. Choose healthy corms. Look for firm corms rather than soft, mushy, or hollow ones. Larger corms generally have more stored energy to support new growth.
2. Prepare them gently. Rinse off loose soil. Carefully remove only loose outer husk, without cutting into the corm or damaging its pointed growing tip.
3. Use a small container with drainage. Place the corm in moist perlite or loosely packed sphagnum moss, pointed end facing up. Nestle the lower half into the medium and leave the top exposed.
4. Keep humidity high. A clear lid or humidity dome helps prevent drying out. Check regularly and allow fresh air to reduce mold.
5. Provide warmth and light. Aim for roughly 75–85°F and bright, indirect light. Avoid direct sun, which can overheat a covered container.
6. Keep the medium moist, not soaked. Check before adding water. Constantly soggy conditions can cause rot.
7. Be patient. Roots and shoots may appear within several weeks, but some corms take a few months. A firm corm may still be viable even if it hasn’t sprouted yet.
8. Pot up after roots and a leaf develop. Move the young plant into a small pot with an airy houseplant mix. Gradually reduce humidity rather than removing the cover all at once.

The key to success

Provide warmth and consistent moisture without waterlogging the medium. Wait until the plant is actively growing before introducing a diluted houseplant fertilizer.

Keep corms and plants away from children and pets. Alocasia contains calcium oxalate crystals that are harmful if chewed or swallowed.