How much sunlight does my Alocasia 'Regal Shields' need?

Alocasia 'Regal Shields' may have difficulty thriving and will drop leaves 🍃 without ample sunlight. Place it less than 3 feet from a window to maximize the potential for growth. Select your region to see how the current weather in your area affects the placement in your home 🏡.

How much humidity does Alocasia 'Regal Shields' like?

Alocasia 'Regal Shields' doesn’t require additional humidity . Plants absorb most water through their root system rather than their leaves, so the best way to provide humidity for your plants is through watering the soil.

What type of soil should I use for my Alocasia 'Regal Shields'?

Alocasia 'Regal Shields' does best in well-draining soil . A good soil will contain lots of organic matter such as coco coir as well as perlite or vermiculite to help with drainage. Adding a handful of perlite to regular store-bought potting soil should do the trick!

Should I fertilize my Alocasia 'Regal Shields'?

Alocasia 'Regal Shields' should be repotted after it doubles in size or once a year , whichever comes first. Fresh potting soil has all the nutrients your plant needs, so as long as it’s refreshed yearly, you shouldn’t need to use fertilizer. Remember, plants get their energy from sunlight, not fertilizer!

Does Alocasia 'Regal Shields' go dormant?

It’s common for Alocasia 'Regal Shields' to go dormant in the wintertime and you may notice their growth slow down. Waterings should be spaced out more during this time.

Which region is Alocasia 'Regal Shields' native to?

Alocasia 'Regal Shields' is native to tropical and subtropical Asia and Eastern Australia .

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Alocasia 'Regal Shields'

Q: How often should I water my Alocasia 'Regal Shields'?

Alocasia 'Regal Shields' prefers for the soil to dry out between waterings and should be watered regularly . Use our water calculator to personalize watering recommendations to your environment or download Greg for more advanced recommendations for all of your plants.

Reviewed by: | Last Updated: 01/06/2023

4.9 out of 5 (21 experiences)

Large, lush leaves

Fast grower

About Alocasia 'Regal Shields'

Alocasias, commonly known as Elephant Ears, are some of the most common houseplants although their leaves can reach enormous sizes when grown outdoors! 🐘 They typically only support a few leaves at a time (more, when they get more sun!) so don't be concerned if you see an old leaf begin to retire after a new one emerges. They grow out of underground corms which are similar to bulbs, so next time you repot keep an eye out for baby Alocasias! They contain calcium oxalate crystals so be sure to keep them out of reach if you have children or pets! ⚠️

Taxonomy

Scientific name

Alocasia 'Regal Shields'

Genus

Alocasia

Family

Araceae

Order

Alismatales

Also known as

Alocasia 'Regal Shield'

How to care for Alocasia 'Regal Shields'

Water

How often to water your Alocasia 'Regal Shields'

Alocasia 'Regal Shields' needs 0.5 cups of water every 9 when it doesn’t get direct sunlight and is potted in a 5" pot located in Houston, Texas.

Use our water calculator to personalize watering recommendations to your environment or download Greg for more advanced recommendations for all of your plants.

Water 0.5 cups every
9

Does your plant get direct sunlight?

No Yes

Select the pot size

Light

Check the growing potential in your area

A plant's growing potential is determined from its location, the time of year, and current local weather.

Houston, Texas

43% Low

Growing Alocasia 'Regal Shields' in Houston right now

Plant growth potential is currently medium 👌

February 5th, 2023

Sunlight energy as measured by “net radiation” in Houston is currently medium 👌.

The availability of high quality sunlight in your home impacts ability for plants to thrive and is key in determini…

Sunlight will increase by 27.3% ☀️

February 5th, 2023

Houston is trending towards greater sunlight intensity!

The amount of sunlight in Houston is expected to increase by 27.3% over the next 2 weeks to an average of 11.9 megajoules of energy per m² p…

Daylight will increase by 0.8 hours 📈

February 5th, 2023

This month, Houston is getting an average of 6.8 hours of clear sky sunlight per day.

Hours of daylight will increase by 8% over the next two weeks. Your plants will get 11.1 total hours of daylig…

Light needs and placement for plant Alocasia 'Regal Shields': 3ft from a window

Alocasia 'Regal Shields' may have difficulty thriving, and will drop leaves 🍃, without ample sunlight.

Place it less than 3 feet from a south-facing window to keep it happy during this time of reduced sunlight intensity in Houston, Texas ⛅.

Nutrients

How to fertilize Alocasia 'Regal Shields'

Nutrient, fertilizer, and repotting needs for Alocasia 'Regal Shields': repot after 2X growth

Most potting soils come with ample nutrients which plants use to produce new growth.

By the time your plant has depleted the nutrients in its soil it’s likely grown enough to need a larger pot anyway.

To replenish this plant's nutrients, repot your Alocasia 'Regal Shields' after it doubles in size or once a year—whichever comes first.

When to repot Alocasia 'Regal Shields'

Is this a good time of year to repot? No ⏳

February 6th, 2023

The growing potential in Houston is low 📉.

Repotting in late fall or winter when the day lengths are shorter can be very stressful for a plant and cause it to go into shock.

It's best to repot…

FAQs

Water Needs

Sunlight Needs

Toxicity

Humidity

Soil

Fertilizer

Dormancy

Native Region

Care Summary for Alocasia 'Regal Shields'

Alocasia 'Regal Shields'

Greg recommends:

Water

0.5 cups every 9 days

Placement

< 3ft from a window

Nutrients

Repot after 2x growth

Based on your location in Houston, Texas, the 4” pot your plant is in, and that it doesn’t get direct sunlight.

What other plant parents say

Large, lush leaves 18

Fast grower 10

Survivor 5

Blooms easily 1

Pest magnet 1

Easy to propagate 1

@Megano

55 Plants

20,110 XP

Washington, DC

12/23/2021

Love this one. Low maintenance, massive beautiful leaves.

Large, lush leaves

Alocasia 'Regal Shields' plant photo by Megano named Allie on Greg, the plant care app.

@Roxanne

55 Plants

11,043 XP

Portland, OR

11/24/2021

I water her when the top 1-2 inches of soil are dry, give her medium to bright indirect light in front of a northeast facing window (and a grow light in the winter), and keep the humidity around 50% with the help of a humidifier that I use a few times a week, to keep her happy. It’s worth the effort! Her leaves are large, lush and iridescent and she’s one of my favorites! She grows quickly and each leaf is larger than the last.

Fast grower

Large, lush leaves

Alocasia 'Regal Shields' plant photo by Roxanne named Amihan on Greg, the plant care app.

@Js.cabral27

9 Plants

283 XP

06/17/2021

New plant, I will update this plant after 1 month of caring for it!

Alocasia 'Regal Shields' plant photo by Js.cabral27 named Eva on Greg, the plant care app.

@Shirreene

32 Plants

1,521 XP

06/03/2021

Easy grower but easily damageable when transferring to soil for me

Fast grower

Alocasia 'Regal Shields' plant photo by Shirreene named Groot on Greg, the plant care app.

@Athena61

10 Plants

1,453 XP

Minneapolis, MN

04/23/2021

This is a show stopper! I’ve heard Alocasia is a difficult plant, but I’ve found it to be pretty easy to care for. I give it some supplemental light (North window), careful to not overwater, fertilize when she’s actively growing. I also give her plenty of humidity in the winter with a humidifier, and mist her regularly, and clean her leaves.

Fast grower

Large, lush leaves