The Alocasia Jacklyn is a large ornamental plant that originates from Southeast Asia, more specifically Indonesia.
Even though it’s better known as the Alocasia Jacklyn, some refer to it as the Alocasia Tandurusa, but most agree that this plant to actually be a mutation of the Alocasia Portei from Sulawesi. The Alocasia Portei from Sulawesi is only mentioned in scientific literature though, so most growers tend to call their plants Alocasia Jacklyn or often refer to it as Alocasia Nycteris.
For the rest of this article, I will refer to the plant as Alocasia Jacklyn.
Give your Alocasia Jacklyn the best care by keeping it in a well-lit position, away from direct sunlight, as its leaves are tender and can be burnt easily. Make sure you treat them with draining soil and water it when you notice that the soil is dry (approximately every two weeks); this will help to avoid root rot.
As you can imagine with a name like Alocasia Jacklyn, it’s not all that hard to see why this plant is a popular choice. The Jacklyn at first appears to be a quite ordinary Alocasia, but if you look closely you’ll notice that the leaves have these very beautiful and mesmerizing purple lines going through them.
If this isn’t enough of a reason to give it a try, I don’t know what is! But, as with most plants, in order to fully enjoy this plant, you’ll need to know the basics on how to take care of it.
| Name | Alocasia Jacklyn |
| Family | Araceae |
| Watering | Every 2 weeks |
| Light | Indirect and bright light |
| Temperature | 17°C to 22°C (63°F to 73°F) |
| Humidity | Medium to High |
| Soil | Well-drained |
That’s the basics though. If you want to go deeper, please read further down.
(To go over the most frequently asked questions around Alocasias, go to our FAQ Alocasia Plant page here)
Lighting – What is the correct amount of light for the Alocasia Jacklyn?
The Alocasia Jacklyn is a tropical plant and as such, it requires more than just a little sunlight to stay happy. That being said, you should try to keep the plant indoors as much as possible. Indirect sunlight seems to be the right thing to aim for.
But, don’t forget about it. Without sufficient light, the Alocasia Jacklyn won’t be able to do much and won’t be able to grow effectively. There’s no problem with having the plant outside on those bright summer days, but it shouldn’t be left out at night, as low temperatures can cause damage to most tropical plants.
As with most Alocasia’s, one of the most interesting part of a Jacklyn is its leaves, which require bright indirect sunlight to keep their color. It can withstand less than full sun or much more depending on how much you want your Alocasia plants in shade versus light; just remember that they will be prone to burning easily when exposed directly during any kind of intense lighting situations (due largely because these types do not like being fully illuminated).
Watering – How to water the Alocasia Jacklyn?
As with all plants, another critical part of taking care of an Alocasia Jacklyn, is to get the watering routine just right. Easier said than done though.
According to some experts, this plant needs above average amounts of water, but it’s important to make sure the soil doesn’t get too wet. A watering schedule is recommended, but it can be very difficult to keep a schedule going for an entire year. The best thing you can do is to have weekly schedules for each month and make sure the soil always has enough water in it (but not too much).
As a rule of thumb if you aim to water your Alocasia Jacklyn twice per week in summer and once during winter when there is less sunlight.
Humidity – What is the right humidity for the Alocasia Jacklyn?
The humidity of the air around this plant should be ample. Experts agree that the Alocasia Jacklyn thrives with a room humidity of at least 60% for it to stay alive, so place this plant near a window or other area where there’s plenty of natural light and airflow.
This level of humidity might be too high for many plant experts, especially in seasonal countries, so if that’s the case, simply add an extra humidifier around your plant, and you should be good to go.
Soil – What is the right soil for your Alocasia Jacklyn?
As with most plants, the soil you choose for an Alocasia Jacklyn will make a world of difference when it comes to how healthy your plant is.
The best soil for this plant is light, loose, and has good drainage. Never put it in a heavy mixture of dirt because that could harm its growth, as can happen with most rhizomatous plants.
Try to aim for something on the looser side and make sure there are plenty of drainage holes in order to avoid root rot. Avoid rocky or sandy areas and do not use alkaline-based fertilizers because they are too harsh for this plant’s needs.
Additionally, consider that this plant can be grown outdoors only if the night temperature does not drop below 15 °C. Let’s dive into the ideal temperature for your Alocasia Jacklyn in the next section.
Temperature – What is the ideal temperature for your Alocasia Jacklyn?
Like many other Alocasia plants, the Alocasia Jacklyn is by definition a tropical plant, meaning that it is especially sensitive to cold conditions and cold weather. The minimum temperature for this type of plant is 15 °C, so always keep it above that. However, the ideal temperature for it to thrive is around 17 °C to 22 °C for optimum growth.
As with many plants, you should aim to reproduce a similar environment to it’s natural habitat, meaning that you should aim for a cozy 21 °C year round if you can. If you cannot provide that ambient temperature indoors, it’s recommended to place the Alocasia Jacklyn on a table near a heater for a bit of warmth, in combination with a humidifier to avoid extremely dry air.
If you notice your Alocasia Portei’s growth starts to dwindle, then consider changing its environment to a warmer one, and avoid placing it near open windows or air conditioners.
Fertilization – How to fertilize your Alocasia Jacklyn?
As with other Alocasias, in terms of fertilizing an Alocasia Jacklyn, experts agree that this plant should be given a balanced plant food (20-20-20) for optimal success. This kind of mixture is very common in the world of gardening and will provide your plant with enough nutrients to grow into an adult. You can use it at half strength but never more than that if you want to make sure its fertilizing is healthy.
Additionally, we recommend using some plant-based fertilizers, as opposed to chemical ones, which will allow you to be more certain that you aren’t harming your Jacklyn in any way.
Periodicity in Fertilizing – How often should I fertilize my Jacklyn Alocasia?
If you want to “set it and forget it”, then we recommend using a slow-release fertilizer. This mechanism will ensure your plant has enough nutrients coming from its fertilizer, being released in a very slow way, guaranteeing you don’t overdo it.
However, a better process would be to consider your individual characteristics around your plant and tailor your fertilizer process around it. For instance: if your plant is in a dark and cold place, with limited sunlight, you’ll plant will likely not grow too quickly, and should require less frequent fertilization than if you lived in a sunny, warm place.
Trimming – How to Trim my Alocasia Jacklyn?
Pruning or trimming is an essential part of caring for your houseplants. It helps you keep fast-growing species like Alocasia Jacklin under control, while it builds the foundations for a more robust structure for its upcoming growth.
You can expect quick-growing plants, such as this one, to develop leaves that grow in all directions thus invading their surrounding space in as little as six months, so keep your pruning tools at hand when the time comes to correct these haphazard growth patterns.
Additionally, many plant experts suggest taking advantage of pruning season, and use some of the cuttings to go ahead and start propagating your Alocasia Jacklyn straight away.
Propagation – How to Propagate my Alocasia Jacklyn
One of the main reasons why plant owners love their Alocasias, is for their ease-of-propagation capacity. This means that from our experience, you can expect your Alocasia Jacklyn to grow at an above-average pace, making it relatively easy to propagate, and become a handy gift for others around you.
If you’re not familiar with propagation per se, what this means it that you can cut a piece from your Alocasia Jacklyn and those pieces will grow into new plants. However, there are several ways in which you can propagate your leafy friend, in this case, either by water or by soil. Which method is right for you? Well, it depends on your plant, what part of it you want to propagate and what situation you’re currently in. For instance: do you have stem cuttings or rhizomes?
As with other Alocasias, your Jacklyn will likely thrive through rhizome propagation above your traditional stem cutting as these plants are tuberous, meaning they sprout from a central rhizome.
Propagation in Water – How to Propagate my Alocasia Jacklyn in Water
Water propagation for your Alocasia is the preferred propagation method in case you have stem cuttings with you. This method works best with cuttings that are about 1 to 2 inches long, have at least two leaves and a stalk between them.
Additionally, be sure to fill a glass container with tap water and let it sit for around 24 hours, in order to let the chlorine sit and therefore have less of an impact on your plant.
Once you’ve taken these precautions, simply place your cutting in a glass of water and cover it with cling wrap or a plastic bag. If you find the humidity isn’t enough, you can spray the water’s leaves for further humidity and you should be good to go.
Propagation in Soil – How to Propagate my Alocasia Jacklyn in Soil
In general terms, experts agree that soil propagation works best with rhizomes or tubers, however, you can also propagate your Alocasia Jacklyn with your stem cuttings.
For soil propagation, what you need to do is to lay your plant on the ground and notice the different clumps it naturally has. Then, grab these distinct clumps (with their own individual rhizome) and treat them as your little propagation seeds.
Then, it’s as simple as inserting your Alocasia Jacklyn directly into a pot that’s filled with soil. However, do consider which type of soil you plant it in, as we mentioned above, as this tropical plant will require moist soil, with strong drainage holes in order to thrive. Additionally, be sure to add a few burnt husks or a bit of coconut coir to strengthen your soil with nutrients as your growing plant will need every one of them to grow.
Keep in mind that this process should take a couple of weeks, so you need to keep your new plant moist until it takes root. After that period of time is over, you should be able to move your plant on to bigger and better things!
Propagation from Leaf – Can you Propagate Alocasia Jacklyn from Leafs?
As a rule of thumb, the best way to propagate your Alocasia Jacklyn is through rhizomes and soil, as these plants, such as other tuberous, sprout from a central rhizome making this the preferred propagation method.
Growth – What is the growth pattern of my Alocasia Jacklyn?
The Alocasia Jacklyn plant is very unique with its domino-style leaves and thick green veins on top. The pattern makes for an eye-catching appearance in your garden or pot, especially when grown indoors!
The Sari Plant is a striking and beautiful plant that has distinctive, sparkling heart-shaped leaves. It also features white veins which pass through the leaf-like rivers running through poetry. This tropical annual boasts thin cylindrical stems supporting large arrow-shaped or triangular bladelike structures on young plants while mature ones develop markings with different colors depending upon their age – some even have stripes.
Its coloration can range from green to brown but it always bears an incredible amount of detail in its petiole (leaf stalk) fascicles: They come complete with prominent margins and reticulation patterns where individual leaflets overlap one another at various angles before weaving back again.
Sarian plants are beautiful and functional indoor or outdoor living spaces. They grow in height from 1-2 feet depending on environmental conditions, with leaves reaching 30 centimeters when grown indoors as well as 120 cm outdoors under optimal growth conditions (which is rare). Jacklyn’s also enjoy high light levels which help them flourish!
The growth rate of this plant is dependent on its environment and location. The more light, the faster it grows in that area; but if there’s not enough heat or food sources for them then they will slowly grow towards other areas around their enclosure until eventually taking over almost all available space within a few months time.
Frequent Problems & Questions around the Alocasia Jacklyn
Yellow Leaves in my Alocasia Jacklyn
As a plant, Alocasia Jacklyn has the natural survival strategy of dropping its leaves when it lacks water. When this happens you can expect to see yellow stalks that will eventually fall off after about 3-5 days without any additional watering on your end. Unfortunately, and for the frustration of many, yellow leaves can also be a symptom of underwatering as well as overwatering.
As far as your Alocasia Jacklyn goes, make sure you find the right balance between overwatering and underwatering to make sure your plant has the right conditions to thrive. In order to do so, we recommend you regularly check, measure and note your watering schedule, as well as verify the correct air circulation as this environment will likely be the cause of your plants condition.
Brown Spots in my Alocasia Jacklyn
The main cause for brown spots in your Alocasia Jacklyn is that your plant is too cold or just not receiving enough light. Additionally, brown spots can also be an indicator of dryness, which in turn may be a sign of underwatering. Fortunately, just because your Alocasia Jacklyn has these brown spots does mean you should immediately discard it, or assume it’s dead.
What you need to do, is start monitoring its condition and protecting it from future damage, by trying to alter the conditions that are causing its current brown spots. For instance, you should aim to be doubling your efforts to provide it with more light and water so that your plant can restore itself to its previous glory.
Slime on my Alocasia Jacklyn?
When it comes to slime in your Alocasia Jacklyn, there are two distinct possibilities for this to be happening, and they both require your immediate attention.
The first possibility is that your plant has bugs, specifically mealybugs which are small white creatures that often go unnoticed at early stages of infestation. We recommend you use a cotton swab soaked in rubbing alcohol to remove the pests by applying it directly to the affected area.
The other distinct possibility is that your Alocasia Jacklyn is suffering from some sort of mold. If this is the case, you should immediately remove both pieces (the infected one and the healthy) and place them in a dry area that receives direct sunlight for at least six hours. After that point, if necessary, you can carefully apply rubbing alcohol to disinfect its leaves and your mold problem should be taken care of.
However, some other experts agree that having mold is not a cause for great concern, reason why you just need to wipe it off with a paper towel and don’t alter much. Mold, fungi, and bacteria are commonplace in your home and in your plant’s environment, so if you notice it exists to a “normal” degree, then don’t worry too much about it.
Rotten Rhizome in my Alocasia Jacklyn
Alocasia is a type of plant that can rot very easily. If the environment it’s in becomes uncomfortable or too warm, then you’ll start to see an immediate impact on your Jacklin’s leaves right away. To prevent this from happening try using lower heating pads so its roots stay cooler than usual without any water-logged soil at all – just let dry out between watering if need be for a couple of weeks to avoid your Alocasia’s rhizome to become rotten.
How do you make Alocasia & Alocasia Jacklyn’s leaves bigger?
The truth of the matter is that it’s pretty difficult to make your Alocasia’s leaves bigger, as this process is mostly influenced by environmental conditions and overall health. However, we can tell you that the best way to achieve bigger leaves is to allow it to absorb as much light as possible for a prolonged period of time. This will ensure your plant thrives and its leaves grow at their maximum potential, but unfortunately, no silver bullet for this process to happen.
