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alabama_jan

Alocasia Black Dragon

alabama_jan
18 years ago

Last year I ordered Alocasia Black Dragon. It is like Black Magic except it has very ruffled leaves. The plants came in in horrible shape. They are still struggling inside my house but don't think they will make it until warm weather. I want to plant these around a fountain in the Spring. Can anyone give me a source to order these plants large enough that they won't have to be viewed with a magnifing glass to see them? Thanks!

Comments (7)

  • User
    18 years ago

    Black dragon? Hmmmm...I'm certainly not up to date with all the new ones coming out, but that sounds like someone sold you a sales pitch. I hadn't heard of a black alocasia and since you mention it's like "black magic" but with ruffles I wonder if you don't actually have Colocasia esculenta Black Ruffles, it's a ruffly sport of "black magic". If that's what you have and what you want, do a new search- it's available all over the place.

    HTH
    Lynn

  • alabama_jan
    Original Author
    18 years ago

    I saw the supposedly Black Dragon growing at several of the shopping centers in Alabama this past summer. The edge of the leaf is sort of fluted or ruffled. It was different from Black Magic as I have Black Magic. It would be soooooo pretty around my little girl with the seashell fountain. Will see if I can find a picture of the plant that showed it when I bought the plant. Thanks for the help....

  • User
    18 years ago

    OK everyone- Alabama Jan emailed me a photo of her "black dragon" and here it is. I've never grown "black ruffles" myself, but on comparison to photos on the web- looks the same to me. I'm posting it here hoping someone with more experience might chime in.
    {{gwi:381067}}

  • keiko2
    18 years ago

    Yes, it does look like the one I bought as Colocasia 'Black Ruffles'. The edges get more scalloped as it grows bigger through the summer.

    Keiko

  • greenelbows1
    18 years ago

    I think this may be one of the (many) times when it pays to get things from someone like Plant Delights, who are careful about names and I think stand behind their products. And incidentally, I think their catalog and website are so educational and so funny they're worth paying more for! Only problem is, they have so many things I want that there's no way I could find room for them all, or the strongs backs I'd need to plant them, or (and this may possibly factor in) the money to pay for them.

  • susanlynne48
    18 years ago

    You said it, greenelbows. I like that moniker, too, because I do have green/brown elbows as I have to literally get on the ground to plant and play in my plants. Can't do anything from standing up position anymore. I have one of those benches that has handles on it, so I can push myself up off the ground.

    I won't say that they stand behind their products so much because I sent e-mails back and forth about 3 of the plants I received that were in terrible condition - one was one of the syneilisis (shredded umbrella) plants - palmatum I believe. I got it, it was about 1" tall, planted it, and immediately died. THey said they would replace, they never did, even after several more e-mails. I finally gave up. Also, the wentii I got was very poor looking. They admitted they were unhappy with the wentii's they had in stock and would credit, but no such luck, they never did. My wentii finally DID grow and grew to about 2' tall with large leaves. My tetrapanax was dormant, and just barely came out of dormancy to put on about 5 leaves - small - about 4". The one I bought at the herb sale in same size pot, took off and achieved 18" leaves and got HUGE (it may have been Steroidal Giant, I don't know). Anyway, lets just say that I wasn't extremely pleased with any of the plants I got from them, and was much more pleased with Heronswood's plants.

    Later on, I did order the Thai Giant and Ruffles from them, thinking that perhaps since it was later in the season, and maybe their "ears" did better than some of their other stock, I'd get lucky. They looked pretty good. Not fantastic, but "pretty good".

    If I thought I'd get a much nicer Coffee Cups from Asiatica for the price, I'd order from them ($65) rather than PD. But, I don't know about their plants. I need to check with somebody on this forum who has ordered from them consistently over the years, but I don't recall her name. I need to do a search.

    Susan

  • greenelbows1
    18 years ago

    I'm sorry to hear you weren't satisfied with either the plants or the service--early order? I like that they say which plants will do well in the heat and humidity. Seems like west coast nurseries usually don't tell you that. My youngest does the website for Digging Dog Nursery on the California coast, and they have things I want but I'm not sure what'll take the heat and humidity, and I don't think they know. He's been agitating for that information, but of course it takes a lot of time and research, and since PD has to live in it, and since they have a large commitment to research, I sorta think they know better. Of course even they can't tell sometimes about what'll grow this far south! I'm quite aware of the difference in weather on the west coast and here, as I spent about the first half of my life out there and still have family so go visiting. Ah, cool nights in July!
    Yeah, I get my elbows green and muddy, also my knees, toes, and everything else!

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