Alocasia Red Cuprea Care Guide
Alocasia Cuprea Breakdown
Light: Indirect light
Watering: Regular but don’t allow to sit in water
Humidity: Medium to high
Soil: Well draining
Native to: Borneo
Other names: Red Secret, Elephant’s ear
Alocasia Cuprea belong to the Alocasia plant family and is becoming one of the more popular of its species. With the surface of its leaves having a metallic sheen and the undersides a red glow, the Alocasia Cuprea is more and more being used to decorate homes with. However, compared to other plants, this one does take a bit more effort to look after and keep alive so keep reading for our Alocasia Cuprea care guide.
Humidity
As this plant is native to Borneo it may come as no surprise to you that it prefers higher levels of humidity. If you live in a drier environment then we would recommend using a humidifier as arid air can dry out the leaves of this plant relatively quickly which can cause irreparable damage. If you don’t want to use a humidifier then there are other things you can do to increase the humidity for your plants.
Our first tip would be to place your plant on top of a watered pebble tray to try and create a micro climate around your Alocasia. You can also leave jars and bowls of water dotted around your plants and we have found that misting can help them tremendously.
Watering
Your Alocasia Cuprea will want to dry out a little bit between waterings, however it is a plant that needs regular waterings. If you leave it to dry out or forget to water it then you will see damage. A great way to water this plant is from the bottom up rather than watering the stop of the soil. This way the plant can take in the moisture it needs. Just like with most plants, even though it likes to be watered regularly this doesn’t mean it should be sitting in soggy soil.
Light
Placing this plant in direct sunlight will cause the leaves to scorch and burn, especially if this is a south or west facing window. Instead these plants require indirect light. In its natural environment it would grow under the canopy of other trees on the forest floor so providing it with shaded and dappled light will help to recreate its natural environment.
Temperature
Keep your Alocasia Cuprea away from drafts as they don’t like to be cold and far from radiators and heating systems as this can cause them to dry out. It can tolerate warmer temperatures as long as the air does not become too dry but will do badly if the temperatures drop too low.
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Soil
As with most plants that are regularly watered you will want a well draining soil so that excess liquid can leave the plant and your roots don’t become soggy. We would also recommend adding perlite to your soil for aeration or may buy our homemade soil here
Fertiliser
Make sure that you only fertilise your plant during the growing season and leave it during the winter months. Feeding your plant once a fortnight should be enough and make sure that you dilute the strength of your fertiliser as a plant feed that is too strong can cause burning on the leaves.
So to summarise, in order to adequately take care of an Alocasia Cuprea you will need:
- Dappled light
- Regular waterings
- High humidity
- Well draining soil
- Diluted fertiliser
If you follow these basic tips then your Red Secret plant should thrive. If you find it struggling then change things one by one so you can see what makes the difference to your plants health. If you change everything at once it can be difficult to know what worked and necessary, and what is just a coincidence.
Alocasia Cuprea FAQ
Hopefully you’ve found our Alocasia Cuprea care guide useful and you feel ready to go and care for your beautiful metallic plant. However if you still have a few questions then be sure to check out our Cuprea FAQ to see some of the most commonly asked questions.
How do you care for Alocasia Cuprea?
Alocasia Cuprea like indirect light, high humidity, frequent waterings, diluted plant feed and warm comfortable temperatures.
Can you propagate Alocasia Cuprea?
Rather than taking cuttings it is better if you propagate this plant via root division. Wait until the original plant has grown more sections then take your plant out of its pot, gently pull the section apart being very careful not to break the roots and replant your new section.
Why is Alocasia Cuprea called Red Secret?
This plant gets it’s nickname Red Secret from the deep reddish colour that it has especially on the underside of the leaves.
Are Alocasia Cuprea fast growing?
Alocasia Cuprea definitely isn’t known as a fast grower, instead you will find it grows relatively slowly but if you care for it it will keep growing and putting out new leaves.
Why are the leaves of my Alocasia Cuprea burning?
They could be burning for a number of reasons, the main two being light and fertiliser. If your plant is in direct sunlight this can scorch their leaves. The other main reason is that you’re using a fertiliser that’s too strong. Instead try and dilute your fertiliser and see if that makes a difference.
Is an Alocasia Cuprea appropriate for a beginner?
A beginner may struggle with this plant as their first plant but this doesn’t mean that it’s not appropriate. If you follow the care tips and seek advice if you encounter any issues then there is no reason that a beginner couldn’t look after this plant.
If you have any other questions regarding the care for your Alocasia Cuprea then be sure to leave them in the comments below and we’ll answer them as quickly as possible. Alternatively if you see someone’s questions in the comments below and think you could help them then please feel free to jump in.