Temperature
65–80°F
Keep away from winter window glass and heating vents.
African mask plant
Alocasia × mortfontanensis
African mask plant wants bright indirect light and water every 5 to 10 days, once the top inch is dry. Toxic to cats, dogs, and humans.
Light
Bright indirect
LowMediumBright indirectDirect
Two to three feet back from an east window. It wants bright light without any direct sun on the leaves.
Water
Every 5–10 days
Baseline for a 6-inch pot indoors. Check first: water when the top inch is dry, not on a schedule.
Humidity
55% and up
Wants 70%. Struggles in dry winter air.
Difficulty
Demanding
Scores 4 of 5: Scores 4 of 5: it demands high humidity, warmth and steady moisture at once, and it goes fully dormant if any of them slip. A leafless tuber in winter is usually resting rather than dead.
Habit
Upright
Grows to 18–36 inches. No support needed.
Toxic to cats, dogs, and humans
Contains insoluble calcium oxalates. Reported signs include intense burning of mouth and tongue, excessive drooling, vomiting.
If a pet has chewed a leaf, rinse the mouth with water and call your vet or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435.
Full detail for cats → Full detail for dogs →
What each authority says
- ASPCA — genus-level entry: Alocasia spp.
- Toxic to cats and dogs · insoluble calcium oxalates
- NC State Extension
- Entry exists and records no poison data.
Light
Bright indirect light. Two to three feet back from an east window. It wants bright light without any direct sun on the leaves.
Water
Every 5 to 10 days in a 6-inch pot, when the top inch is dry.
Treat the interval as a starting point and the test as the actual instruction. Pot size, light level and season all move the number.
| Method | keep evenly moist |
|---|---|
| Test before watering | the top inch is dry |
Soil and potting
One part potting soil, one part orchid bark, one part perlite.
Repot roughly every 1.5 years, or when roots come through the drainage holes and water runs straight through without absorbing.
Common problems
Ranked by how often each turns out to be the cause for this species. Each links to a diagnosis page with the causes ranked for this species.
- Yellow leaves this week
- Drooping act today
- Brown crispy edges monitor
Pests
Recorded for this species. Each links to identification and treatment.
- Spider mites act today
- Mealybugs this week
- Thrips act today
Propagation
Division in soil. Roots in 28 to 56 days.
| Preferred method | division |
|---|---|
| Medium | soil |
| Time to root | 28–56 days |
| Node required | No |
| Best season | Spring and summer |
Sources
- ASPCA Animal Poison Control — Alocasia spp. Checked 2026-09-12.
- North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox — Alocasia × mortfontanensis (consulted; entry exists and records no poison data.) Checked 2026-09-12.
- Wikidata entity Q113251886 — taxonomy and entity identity.
- Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, Plants of the World Online — Alocasia × mortfontanensis Accepted name; family Araceae. Checked 2026-09-12.
- Photograph: Wiki Farazi, Wikimedia Commons , CC0.
Compiled and edited by Tony Valcarcel · 2026-09-02
Tony Valcarcel is the editor and publisher of this database, not a horticulturist
or a veterinarian. Every fact above is drawn from the sources listed, and
toxicity severity is reported only where one of them stated it.
How this is sourced.
Last updated 2026-09-02