The Alocasia Mickey Mouse plant, also known as Xanthosoma variegata, is a slow-growing, semi-evergreen shrub with wide, deep-green leaves and unique light-green and cream variegation. It can be grown indoors or outdoors, and its care is similar to that of the Alocasia plant.
To care for the Alocasia Mickey Mouse plant, it is essential to check the soil regularly, water if the top 25 is dry, and maintain medium, indirect sunlight. The plant does well in bright, indirect light but can tolerate shady conditions. Avoid direct sunlight and use a well-draining, rich organic mix. Water regularly to keep the soil evenly moist but not wet or soggy.
For optimal growth, use a balanced fertilizer 1-2x a month in spring and summer, ceasing feeding in winter months. Repot the plant 2″ in spring or summer when the plant is 2 to 3 feet from a window. When growing in pots, they do best in porous, fast-draining Aroid soil blends. They like high humidity, bright nearly full-sun sunlight, and a balanced, slow-release fertilizer applied every 2-3 months during active growth in spring and summer.
Although the Alocasia Mickey Mouse plant is best grown in average, medium moisture, well-drained soils, it can tolerate wet and heavy soils as well as dry conditions. To ensure the plant’s health and longevity, it is recommended to water it regularly and avoid direct sunlight.
📹 HOW TO CARE FOR XANTHOSOMA | MICKEY MOUSE PLANT
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How big does Mickey Mouse plant grow?
Ochna (Ochna serrulata) is an evergreen shrub that can grow up to 2 meters tall. It is a significant environmental weed in urban bushland in south-eastern Queensland, Sydney, and Lord Howe Island. The seeds of Ochna are bird dispersed, making it easily dispersed from garden plantings into nearby bushland. Ochna is a hardy plant that often re-sprouts after mechanical and chemical control, making follow-up control crucial in its management. It is a highly ornamental species introduced into Australia as a garden plant.
The leaves of Ochna are shortly stalked, elliptical, and have finely toothed edges. The veins on the leaves are raised. The flowers usually occur singly in the join between the leaves and branches, consisting of five bright yellow petals. The petals drop off to reveal five large petal-like sepals, which are green at first but turn bright red and enlarge when in fruit. The sepals could be mistaken for petals.
How do you care for a Mickey Mouse ear plant?
The plant exhibits optimal growth in partially shaded environments and moist soils, with occasional pruning. The plant is capable of thriving in temperatures above 27 degrees Fahrenheit (or -2 degrees Celsius). However, it should be noted that all parts of the plant contain calcium oxalate crystals, which have the potential to cause irritation to the mouth and esophagus.
Is the Mickey Mouse plant rare?
Alocasia Xanthosoma Variegatas, also known as “Mickey Mouse”, are rare tropical plants with large leaves and pronounced variegation. Originating in humid climates, they thrive in bright, indirect sunlight, but not direct sunlight, which can cause burnt or dead leaves. These plants are beautiful variegated with high patterns and contrast. Proper care and space are necessary for their growth.
Where to plant a Mickey Mouse plant?
The Xanthosoma mickey mouse is an easy-to-care-for plant suitable for home gardens, preferring shady, moist, well-drained soils. It grows well in ferns and other shade-loving plants. Our shipping rates are capped for orders up to 5kg in weight, with each product weight listed in the product description. If your order is over 5kg, the rate defaults to the Australia Post calculated rate, based on the total shipping weight and your shipping location.
Why is my Mickey Mouse plant dying?
Water issues can be caused by over-watering, over-watering, and under-watering. Over-watering can cause yellowing leaves and root rot, while under-watering can lead to stunted growth and a weakened plant. To address these issues, stop watering and let the soil dry, treating root rot if necessary. Adjust your watering schedule and listen for the plant’s response. Under-watering can also cause a plant to express thirst, with crisp leaves and stunted growth indicating a lack of water. It’s crucial to address these issues to ensure your plant’s health and growth.
Is Mickey Mouse plant a lucky plant?
The Mickey Mouse plant, with its bright yellow flowers and shiny black berries on bright red sepals, is believed to bring good fortune and prosperity, making it an excellent choice for those seeking to enhance their positive outlook.
How much light does a Mickey Mouse plant need?
Alocasia Mickey Mouse is a plant that is part of the genus Xanthosoma, but is commonly referred to as the genus Alocasia due to its close resemblance to the Alocasians. Alocasias are flowering plants native to tropical America and are popularly cultivated worldwide. They can grow up to 6 feet tall in an open outdoor environment and 5 feet in a mature spread. Indoor plants can reach 3 to 5 feet tall. Watering is essential, and the plant should be watered weekly if the top 25 of the soil is dry.
Humidity needs are 60-70 degrees, and a well-draining potting mix is recommended. Fertilizing is done 1-2 times a month in spring and summer, and ceasing feeding in winter months. Repotting is done when the plant becomes root bound. Alocasias are pet-safe, but they may experience crisping due to lack of humidity. A pebble tray can help, but a humidifier or greenhouse conditions can help. It is important to monitor common plant pests that thrive in high humidity levels.
Why is my Mickey Mouse plant drooping?
Alocasia, a popular houseplant with striking foliage, is native to subtropical Asia and eastern Australia. With around 80 species, it can grow up to three feet long. The plant needs bright, indirect light due to its natural habitat on the forest floor beneath the tree canopy. Direct sun can cause leaves to burn, so avoid placing it in a spot exposed to direct sun for prolonged periods. Alocasias are not tolerant of lower light conditions, so ensure the space is bright. They grow best in humid environments, so avoid placing them near an air conditioner or heater if possible. The plant will right itself over time, but you can stake the stems while it recovers.
What does an overwatered Alocasia look like?
Overwatering an Alocasia can cause leaves to droop, develop brown spots, turn yellow, or become soft and mushy. Other signs of overwatering include mold, root rot, pests, mildew, or fungus on leaves or in the soil. To display alocasia in your home or office, use larger varieties as floor specimens, group smaller specimens with similar plants, place a multi-tiered plant stand in a living room or bedroom, adorn an office desk with a smaller variety, plant a larger variety in a shady bed or border during warmer months, adorn a hallway table with a smaller specimen and accessories, place a favorite alocasia variety in a macrame hanger, decorate a shady patio or deck with a colorful container, or place an alocasia plant in a decorative pot in a room with higher humidity. These ways to display alocasia can make it a visually appealing and functional addition to your home or office.
How do you take care of a mouse plant?
This plant exhibits optimal growth in full sun or low-light conditions and requires moist, well-draining soil to flourish. The plant requires periodic fertilization and pruning during the warmer months, as well as the application of mulch to retain soil moisture during periods of low precipitation.
Why are the leaves on my Mickey Mouse plant turning brown?
To prevent the leaves of the Mickey Mouse plant from browning, it is necessary to rotate the plant regularly in order to maintain even sunlight exposure and avoid uneven growth. This plant is known for its resilience and adaptability to various soil types.
Yay! So happy to have come across your article Jessy! I bought one of these from the nursery simply because she was pretty – put in a pot and just expected her to thrive. She went from 7+ healthy leaves to 2 barely hanging on. She was getting bright, indirect light and was not overwatered and not in a drafty spot in the house. I have now covered her sides with some plastic in the hope to warm her as it’s quite cold here at the moment. Fingers crossed she makes it through the winter as I am besotted!
New sub here. I love your articles, so informative and you are such a sweet person! I just received three of these corms in the mail. Trying to decide which ones to go outside and which ones to plant as houseplants. I do live in FL so they will do well here! After 50+ years of gardening I have really fallen in love with large leaf plants, especially alocasias and colocasias lately!! Again, thanks for your articles!
I was speaking with an amazing gardener who had a wealth of plant knowledge and they recommended using broken down (like really finely broken down) styrofoam boxes instead of perlite. Apparently it’s the alternative for gardeners who are worried about the health risks of breathing in the dust from perlite when working with it. Have you ever heard of or tried this? So far I haven’t been using very heavy perlite mixes myself just the cacti succulent mix level pre made.
Your articles are always so informative! I was given a cutting of this plant from my mom’s mother plant, but it seems like every time it would grow a new leaf and the leaf begins to mature, the old leave dies right away. The mother plant doesn’t seem to lose it’s leaves quite as fast as mine do. Is this normal/does this happen with yours as well?
Hey Jess! Thanks for the article, there’s so little information about this plant out there! Question for you: I live in California and don’t get winter- will this plant be ok if it doesn’t go through dormancy or should I try to induce dormancy once a year during winter months? Also do you have any tips on how to promote more variegation? Thank you!
Hi jessy. Greet you from Indonesia. Eastern Java island. I have this plant and grow this guy in the pot. It grows so fast. From two leaves i got four. The only problem is i dont get white color on the leave and wrinkles. Do i need to do something? Just normal soil ground and put growmore 35 10 10 NPK. Any suggestion
Hi Jessy, I have just gotten one of these and i am so excited but it was damaged in transit so i’m a little scared and hoping to take extremely good care of it to nurse it back to help. Just wondering if you are still watering once every two days at the moment in winter? or are you only watering every 6 weeks like you said about the bulb? I have two quite small leaves on my plant, but i am worried they may die due to the transit damage.
Omg please help! I got one of these, rather big one. Did soooo much research as I do for all new plants. (I have 191) your article was so helpful, they really do want a LOT of water. It had four leaves when I got it, one was new and the newest leaf is about dead. I know they go dormant but I’m not gonna lie, I’m freaking out….cause I spent a lot of money on it. Pleaseeeee help! I would love any advice.
Hi Jessy! I recently got one of these and within the first two weeks two (out of 5) of the leaves have started to bend on the petiole like your dying leaf was. The actual leaf looks completely fine and healthy, it hasn’t begun to yellow or brown. Is the bending the first step before it turns yellow? Or is something else wrong with my plant?
Hi 🙂 I just got one of these and the leaves are super crinkled, I see yours only have a few spots like that on it. What causes the crinkles? Will every leaf look like that or will I get some smooth leaves like yours? Sorry if you addressed this in the article, I’m at work and can’t watch yet but I just had to ask because I’ve been googling about the crinkled leaves for the last 2 weeks and I haven’t found anything helpful.
I just got it, i really love it ! I got it with 2 leaves and in a week there’s new pops, its really fast growth (i feel amaze with them) in few days the old leaf turning brown and bent just like yours, and now the others old leaf is start browning and bending too but there’s no new growth, is it normal? Or is there anything wrong with them? I watered them once a week or if the soil is really dry, is it enough for them?
Hi I just got a bb plant like a month ago. The 2 older leaves died due to shipping time but I quickly got 2 new leaves. However one of the 2 new leaves (the first new leaf) started to show some stress sign. It was so healthy at first though. Can u advise what I did wrong? Soil mixture was v drainage, bright indirect sun all day I nvr let the soil soggy or entirely dry out. I am at loss…