Zebra Alocasia

Alocasia zebrina Veitch ex J.Dix

Family: AraceaeOrigin: Philippines

Arrow Leaves
Corm-Grown
Goes Dormant

Pet & Human Safety

People: Not researchedPets: Toxic to pets

People: not researched yet.

Toxic to pets

Toxic to dogs, cats, and horses per ASPCA's dedicated Alocasia page: insoluble calcium oxalates (needle-like raphides in leaves, stems and stalks). Signs: oral irritation, pain and swelling, drooling, vomiting (not horses), difficulty swallowing. If a pet chews it, call your vet or ASPCA Poison Control.

PlotAndPetal cannot tell you whether a plant you found can be eaten. Only someone who can see the plant can identify it.

Look-alike warning

Could be mistaken for ASPCA's page titled 'Elephant Ears' (Caladium hortulanum), a different genus that also goes by the colloquial name 'elephant ear' (shared by Alocasia, Colocasia, and Caladium). To tell them apart: Different genera despite the shared colloquial name; this guide uses ASPCA's separate, dedicated 'Alocasia' page (a direct whole-genus listing) instead of the mismatched Caladium page.. Corrects an error in the previously unconverted Swift text, which cited 'ASPCA' generically without a specific URL, risking the wrong-genus page being used as the source.

Poison control

If someone has collapsed, cannot be woken, is having a seizure or has trouble breathing, call 911 now. For any other possible poisoning, call Poison Help: 1-800-222-1222.

Emergency number source: U.S. federal law (47 U.S.C. § 251(e)(3)), read 2026-10-07.

Naturalist Lore

Historical Background & Breeding Lore

The history of this plant and its name, and how it was bred, where we have them.

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Care

Hardiness zones: 10 - 12 (houseplant elsewhere)
Mature size: Houseplant types: 1-3 ft tall and wide.

Soil & Drainage

Pruning & Flush Rhythm

Feeding Schedule

How to prepare the soil, when and what to feed, and how and when to prune where that applies.

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Anatomy & Guilds

Botanical Anatomy & Characteristics

How the flowers and leaves are built and which pollinators visit, where we have them.

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Field Doctor

What can go wrong with this plant and what to do about it, where we have them.

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Vintage Plates

Old botanical drawings from public libraries are in the app, for plants where we have them.

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Sources

How we choose sources

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