Alocasia ‘Regal Shield’ is an impressive houseplant with huge deep purple leaves, dark veins, and tall stems.
It’s a striking plant that will add plenty of drama to any room, but it can be a little tricky to care for if you can’t give it the higher humidity and indirect light it requires.
It’s also worth considering that this plant can reach up to 5 feet tall indoors, which can make placement tricky if space is at a premium in your home.
Interested in growing your own Alocasia Regal Shield? Not sure if this plant will suit your home?
Here’s what you should know, including how to care for this plant, how to propagate it, problems to watch out for, and how to get the best out of this plant.
Alocasia ‘Regal Shield’ Care Guide
Alocasia Regal Shield is probably not a great choice for a starter Alocasia species as it can be a little fussy.
Get the care right, and it is among the most beautiful Alocasia species you can grow, guaranteed to add a jungle vibe to any room, with its huge elephant-ear leaves, and long stems.
Here’s how to care for it, and the problems you should watch out for.
Where To Grow Alocasia Regal Shield
Hailing from Africa, this Alocasia will love a warm space and bright, indirect light. Keep in mind that while you might choose a small plant, it will grow bigger with time, so make sure you give it plenty of space!
Choose a position that’s as close to a window as possible without touching the glass.
Is Direct Sunlight Too Much?
Yes, and no. For Regal Shield, the amount of sunlight it can handle depends on which way the window is facing, and which Hemisphere you live in.
The advice below is particularly for the Northern Hemisphere, but you can easily adapt it to the Southern Hemisphere, just keep in mind which windows in your home have morning sunlight, and which have afternoon sunlight.
An Eastern-facing window will have gentler, morning sunlight, while a Southern-facing window has fierce, afternoon sunlight that may scorch the leaves.
The former is okay, but the latter isn’t exactly ideal for an Alocasia Regal Shield, as you want to avoid anything that might ruin the dramatic effect of the leaves.
An Eastern-facing window would be best for this plant, as it will give the plant all the light it needs without the risk of sun scorch, while a Southern-facing window can burn the leaves.
Morning sunlight is gentlest on any plant, and will still give the plant the energy it needs to thrive and to stop any leggy growth.
If you don’t have a window that gets any direct sunlight, such as a Northern-facing window, this will still be fine, provided that you put the plant as close to the window as possible, so it can get the energy it needs.
But maybe your windows are all on the small side, and the plant won’t fit. If this is the case, it’s a good idea to use a grow light to give the plant all the light it needs.
Alocasia Temperature Needs
As this plant hails from Africa, it needs warm and comfortable temperatures in order to thrive.
The ideal range is between 70°F and 85°F, and at no point should temperatures drop below 55°F, as this can trigger dormancy or damage in the plant.
Should You Give Alocasia Regal Shield Higher Humidity?
It’s a good idea to give Alocasia Regal Shield a humid room, which really gives the plant a helping hand in terms of lush growth.
The ideal range for humidity is between 60% and 90%, which is a little tricky to achieve as it is higher than the average room will provide, even in a kitchen or a bathroom.
Avoid placing your Alocasia, or any other plant, near sources of heat or near drafts, as this dries them out further, and damages the leaves.
Use A Humidifier
One of the easiest ways to raise the humidity is to invest in a humidifier, which not only benefits your plants but you as well.
Just remember that you should match the size of the humidifier to the room, and always increase the air circulation as you raise the humidity levels, otherwise you can get problems with mold, not just on your plants, but in your home!
Create A Microclimate
If you don’t fancy using a humidifier, you can raise the humidity by keeping many plants.
Grouping them together helps create a microclimate of higher humidity, benefitting leafy tropical plants such as Alocasias and Calatheas, but many other species, too.
You’ll soon be able to tell if your Alocasia Regal Shield isn’t getting enough humidity, as the leaves will start to crisp up, the plant may get spider mites, and in very dry conditions, the leaves may drop from the plant altogether.
Do not mist your Alocasia plant to increase humidity. All you are doing is adding extra moisture to the leaves, which can cause fungal problems.
Ideal Compost For Alocasias
Alocasia plants like compost with plenty of nutrients, good drainage, and lots of oxygen getting to the roots.
This can sound a little difficult to achieve, but it’s not as complicated as it sounds, and you probably already have what you need!
While you could put this plant in houseplant compost straight from the bag, it’s better to amend it with some perlite or horticultural grit, which drastically improves how well the soil will drain.
A good ratio is two parts of houseplant compost to one part perlite or horticultural grit, making sure that you mix it up thoroughly, as this will help the plant out.
If possible, choose a houseplant compost that contains water retention crystals, as this will help stop the plant from drying out, which is especially useful in very warm rooms, and climates, or if you tend to forget to water.
If you prefer, you could buy compost formulated for Alocasia plants, but this tends to get expensive quickly, and it’s not worth it if you only have the one Alocasia.
If you have a collection of Alocasias and you don’t want things to get messy by mixing up compost yourself, it is worth getting an Alocasia-specific compost.
When To Water Alocasia Regal Shield
Alocasia plants hate drying out, but neither do they like being wet for too long. As you might guess, there’s a delicate balance to strike here.
Try to avoid watering X amount of days, as watering your plant on a rigid schedule can cause problems when other parts of the growing conditions change and the watering element does not.
Instead, make a habit of checking the soil every week or so. When the top third of the compost dries out, it’s time to water it.
In fall and winter, you can allow up to three-quarters of the soil to dry out in between watering, as the plant won’t need as much water when it’s not in its active growing season.
When you water the plant, make sure you water all the surface and tip out any excess that pools in the bottom of the pot.
Avoid watering the stem. Water can pool into it and cause stem rot, which will kill the plant pretty quickly.
Is Bottom Watering A Good Idea?
Alocasia and Colocasia plants can tolerate bottom watering a lot more than other leafy tropical plants, but that doesn’t mean you should bottom water.
It’s very easy to leave the plant sitting in water and get distracted by something else. If the plant sits in water for too long, this will cause root rot and other fungal issues, which are easier to prevent than to fix.
Always use tepid water instead of cold, preferably water that has been sat out for a while, distilled water, or rainwater, as this will help prevent brown tips on your Alocasias.
Should You Feed Alocasia Regal Shield?
It’s a good idea to feed your Alocasia plants occasionally during the growing season, but be careful of overdoing it.
Feed your Alocasia every fourth watering or so in the growing season. When it comes to fall, scale this back to once or twice as the growth slows down, and stop completely in winter.
Use a good quality and balanced liquid houseplant feed, making sure to follow the dosage instructions on the label.
Don’t feed your plant if more than half of the compost has dried out. Water it first, otherwise you can burn the roots, which takes a long time for the plant to recover from.
Troubleshooting Growing Problems With Alocasia Regal Shield
Alocasias can be tricky to care for, and though you might get the conditions right from the start, it is inevitable that at some point, you will run into problems with this beautiful plant!
Here are a few to watch out for.
Leaves Wilting And Yellowing
If your Alocasia leaves are wilting and turning yellow, this usually means that the compost is struggling to dry out.
Catching this early is the difference between your plant recovering, and being unable to save it.
It can be that the pot is too big for the root system, temperatures and/or light levels are too low, or you’re watering the plant too often.
Check the soil to make sure that this is the problem you have, as overwatering and underwatering signs present similar problems in the leaves.
If the compost is soaking, take your plant out of its pot, and have a look at the roots. With some sharp scissors, take off any roots that look shriveled, black, brown, or mushy to the touch.
Repot the plant into fresh, barely-damp compost, and hold off on watering it for a few days to help it recover.
When you come to check the soil, if it is too dry (more than the top third, or top half has dried out), you need to give your Alocasia Regal Shield a good watering, and quickly.
Water it once to rehydrate the soil, and water it again to hydrate the plant. Just don’t forget to pour out any excess water that collects in the bottom of the pot or saucer.
Webs On The Leaves
If you’re seeing yellow leaves and a weird, fuzzy texture on the leaves and stems, this usually means that spider mites have started to call your plant home.
Treat at the earliest opportunity with a good quality horticultural soap, rinse off the leaves with tepid water between applications, or apply rubbing alcohol directly to affected areas.
Brown Spots Or Brown Leaf Edges
There are two main culprits when it comes to brown leaf edges or brown spots on your Alocasia: the air is too dry, or the plant is too dry.
Take a look at the soil. If the top third or more is dry, go ahead and water it, making sure to water deeply and evenly across the surface of the soil. Don’t forget to tip out any that collects at the bottom of the pot.
If watering isn’t the problem, make sure the plant isn’t in any drafts or near sources of heat, as this dries out the atmosphere around the plant.
You may also want to move your Alocasia Regal Shield to a more humid spot in your home, like a kitchen or bathroom, and group plants with similar requirements together to create a microclimate.
How To Propagate Alocasia Regal Shield
Sadly, you can’t propagate an Alocasia Regal Shield through leaf or stem cuttings, which tend to be easier ways of propagating plants.
Instead, you’ll have to propagate the plant when it produces offsets. Your Alocasia Regal Shield will do this eventually when a baby plant appears at the base.
But it is something of a waiting game. Let the new plant get to at least half the size of the parent plant before you do anything.
You need to wait for this to happen, otherwise, it may not survive being separated from the parent plant when it is so small.
Once it’s big enough, you can use a sharp and clean knife to cut the corm from the main plant. It is easier to take the plant out of the pot to do this, so you can see what you’re doing.
You should also keep as many roots attached to the baby plant as possible. Pot the new plant straight away with well-draining, nutrient-rich compost, and put it somewhere warm and humid.
Alternatively, when you’re repotting your Alocasia, you can separate some of the corms and put them into a tray of water, keeping them partially submerged, covering the tray with a clear lid, and wait until the corm has formed roots before planting in soil.
How To Make Your Alocasia Regal Shield Thrive
Here are a few tips to help you get the best out of your Alocasia Regal Shield.
Keep The Plant In A Humid And Warm Environment
Quite a few of the problems you may encounter with this plant tend to happen when the plant is in too dry or too cold a room.
Alocasia Regal Shield needs balmy and humid conditions to thrive, so giving the plant plenty of warmth and humidity will help stop the leaves from curling or crisping up.
Just don’t forget to improve the air circulation to help prevent any fungal issues from forming in the higher humidity.
Pot Type
It’s worth thinking about the type of pot you should grow bigger Alocasia plants in, especially Alocasia Regal Shield, as it is top-heavy.
This means you need to provide the plant with a weighty base so that it doesn’t fall over! A glazed ceramic pot would do well, but avoid unglazed terracotta if you’re not using an inner plastic pot.
Terracotta pots drain much faster, meaning you’ll have to be careful about giving the plant enough water.
Only repot by going one size upwards when the roots are coming out of the drainage holes, and make sure you repot during the growing season.
Dormancy
Alocasia plants can and will go dormant during cooler and darker winters, where the leaves will die back one by one until there is no top growth left.
Scale back the watering and move the plant to a bright spot, but don’t let the soil dry out completely. The plant will bounce back.
Feed Your Alocasia Regularly
At some point, your plant will run out of nutrients in its pot, and you may see drooping or yellowing leaves that have nothing to do with moisture-related stress.
Fertilize your plant every fourth watering or so during the growing season. It’s also a good idea to make sure you flush the soil occasionally to get rid of any fertilizer build-up, as this will stop any root or leaf damage.
Make sure you don’t feed the plant outside its growing season, as this can cause shock.
Rotate The Plant Regularly
To keep the growth even, rotate the plant at least once a week.
This will help make sure that the plant gets an even amount of light, which will stop one side from looking bare, or the whole plant from leaning to one side (which can get tricky to fix as the plant gets bigger!).
Mist Your Plant To Clean The Leaves
As the leaves on Alocasia Regal Shield are so large, it’s important to keep them clean. You’d be surprised at just how filthy they can get in a short space of time!
It’s a good idea to mist your plant weekly, but not to increase humidity. Grab a spray bottle and a damp cloth, and once you mist the leaves, wipe them down to clear them of any dust, dirt, or water marks.
Do this on the undersides of the leaves, too. This not only helps keep the capillaries in the leaves clear and healthy, but it also helps get rid of any early pest infestations you might not have spotted.
Other Things To Consider When Growing Alocasia Regal Shield
Summering Your Alocasia Outdoors
If you want to give your Alocasia Regal Shield a real boost, it’s a good idea to move it outside during summer, as the increased light, rainwater, and air circulation can make a real difference to your plant.
But you will need to do this slowly, and only put your plant in dappled sunlight, in a sheltered area.
Keep in mind that plants inside don’t get nearly as much sunlight as outside, so you’ll need to acclimatize your plant very slowly.
Start with a few hours each day, bringing it back inside, and gradually increasing the time until your plant is outside for the majority of the time.
You can’t do this process too slow, be gradual with it, and always bring your plant back inside if the temperatures dip.
Just make sure that before you bring your plant inside, you check it for pests, as you don’t want to introduce any beasties into your houseplant collection!
You can grow this plant outside all year round if you live in a USDA zone between 9 and 11.
Corms
Instead of buying an established Alocasia Regal Shield, which can be very pricey, you can grow your own from corms, which are a cheaper alternative.
It’s easier and quicker than growing this plant from seed, too. It’s a good idea to start multiple ones at once, just in case some don’t take.
You can always find room for them or do a plant swap later.
If you’d prefer to grow your Alocasia Regal Shield from corms, try growing them in pure coco coir, only burying the bottom half of each one, keeping the soil moist, and conditions stable by sealing them in clear plastic, airing them out every day or so.
If you’re not sure which way to plant them, look for the pointy end, and that’s the end you want facing upward.
To boost your chances of success, use a heat propagation mat, and keep the corms somewhere warm and bright, but out of direct sunlight.
Final Thoughts
Alocasia Regal Shield is a beautiful plant, but it can be finicky where its growing conditions are concerned.
The key to getting this plant’s care right is to be consistent and keep a balance between the different elements of care, including moisture, light, temperature, humidity, and the type of soil.
If you let the soil dry out too much, this can trigger dormancy in the plant, which will make the leaves die back, and some Alocasias are harder to wake from dormancy than others.
If the soil gets too wet, this can cause root rot, so always check the soil before you water, and do it regularly.
Higher humidity is also important when it comes to Alocasia Regal Shield, and it will help prevent the leaves from drying up or crisping at the edges, so invest in a humidifier, or create a microclimate to keep this plant happy.
It may not be the best Alocasia plant to start with, but it is certainly one of the most beautiful, and it makes a fabulous addition to any houseplant collection, adding height and interest.
