Alocasia Black Velvet (Alocasia Reginula) houseplant is ideal for making a strong impact in intimate areas. The majority of Alocasia Reginula plants are distinguished by their enormous, tropical-looking, heart or arrow-shaped leaves (which is where they get their common name of elephant ears).
Alocasia black velvet plant grows slower and is much smaller than other members of the genus. Because it is a little diamond, it is frequently referred to as a jewel alocasia.
This velvet alocasia plant isn’t being grown for its blossoms. It seldom flowers and the white inflorescence is quite unimpressive when it does. Instead, the contrasting silver veins on the dense, textured, dark green (nearly black) leaves make this eye-catching evergreen perennial stand out.
It isn’t necessarily a plant for folks with brown thumbs since it can become dormant or lose its leaves if not properly cared for. Black Velvet Alocasia does well in high humidity, which makes it a great plant for a hot, sunny bathroom.
If you live in a residence with curious animal paws, keep this out of reach of pets. Humans and pets are both poisoned by Alocasia Black Velvet.
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Alocasia Black Velvet Treatment
Black Velvet Alocasia is a little picky and thrives best in settings that match the warm, light, and humid environment it prefers. Alocasia Black Velvet has huge dark green velvet-like leaves with white veins.
Light
Unlike other more significant Alocasia black types that can be trained to tolerate full sun, Black Velvet thrives in dappled, brilliant but indirect light conditions similar to those found on a tropical forest floor.
A window facing north or east works nicely, as long as the morning light isn’t too harsh. When there isn’t enough light, the stems become straggly and spindly, and the luscious, dark leaf color suffers.
Soil
Even hydration is essential for this plant’s growth, so use a loose, well-drained potting container. Because root rot is a regular issue, a tropical mix with bark, sand, and loam is an excellent option. Avoid those with a high concentration of absorbent peat moss or coco coir.
Water
A key guideline for care for Alocasia Black Velvet is to never leave it in water. One of the primary reasons these alocasia black velvet plants perish is because the watering schedule is incorrect. Root rot is generally caused by overwatering and moist feet.
Although they need a fair amount of water throughout the growing season, it is preferable to water thoroughly, drain any excess, and allow approximately 20% of the topsoil to dry before watering again. They make the mistake of assuming they need as much watering as the bigger Alocasia reginula species.
Placing the pot on a tray with water and stones can help avoid damp feet while maintaining the humidity levels that this plant prefers.
Even in the winter, you should still water your plants, but not as often, and you can let the soil dry out more in between.
Humidity and temperature.
Alocasia Black Velvet requires high humidity and warmth to grow, as one would anticipate from a tropical lowland plant. This black velvet plant does not like drafty, chilly winter rooms or dry, air-conditioned surroundings. Because they demand humidity levels far over 50%, you may need to spray and utilize a pebble tray or humidifier or cultivate this tiny plant in a terrarium, especially in the winter. They thrive in temperatures above 70 °F but can survive in temperatures as low as 60 °F.
Increase the humidity in your home to help alocasia black velvet thrive indoors!
Fertilizer
Don’t expect the Black Velvet Alocasia to spring into motion if you fertilize it immediately. However, frequent but not excessive feeding might occasionally help this plant.
During the growth season, alocasia reginula care should be given more effort, feeding every two weeks to monthly with a balanced liquid houseplant fertilizer to suffice. Supplemental feeding is not always necessary, as with the bigger Alocasia black species.
Pruning
This plant has no stringent trimming needs. Even the healthiest mature plants will need dead or dying foliage removed to make room for new leaves. This helps to more efficiently transfer nutrients to the developing leaves.
Alocasia Black Velvet flowers rarely, and the blossoms are unimpressive when they do. If flowers do grow, cutting them off helps the plant’s energy go to the leaves, which are the main event.
Propagation
These alocasias can be reproduced by splitting the rhizomes (little potato-like bulbs under the surface), rather than through cuttings.
Alocasias are simple to split manually with handforce. Simply take the alocasia plant out of its container and gently massage the root base to break it into smaller pieces, each having at least one pair of leaves. Plant these fresh alocasia plants back into their pots, ensuring that they’re not overloaded!
Can You Speed Up the Growth of Black Velvets?
Even though it may not look so, alocasias are regarded as quick growers in general. This is due to the fact that they lose their older leaves every few months. While it may seem that it is not progressing, the fact that it is developing new leaves indicates that the plant is healthy.
If your alocasia black velvet isn’t developing rapidly enough, treat it every few weeks throughout the warmer months with a nitrogen-rich liquid fertilizer. But remember to dilute it! Alocasias are vulnerable to overfertilization.
When an Alocasia Black Velvet Flower Blooms, What Happens?
A flowering velvet alocasia indicates that it is happy, healthy, and thriving in ideal circumstances. Nothing should be changed! However, since the flowers on the black velvet plant aren’t “showy,” there’s no need to keep them around.
This is merely an indication that you’re doing a fantastic job of providing a wonderful home. We proposely removing the blossom so that the plant may focus its efforts on growing large, robust leaves.
