Photo/Illustration: Michelle Gervais
It doesn’t get much more prehistoric-looking than this foliage. African mask (OK, maybe we should have gone with a different theme!) is a striking foliage plant for containers and tropical-esque garden beds where you want a bit of an edge. Its botanical name is tough to pin down, but the American Horticultural Society’s Encyclopedia of Garden Plants goes with Alocasia sanderiana. You won’t need the name when you go shopping for the plant, though, since it’s tough to miss this bold statement in a nursery or greenhouse. It’s native to the Phillipines and can be brought indoors as a houseplant in the fall, since it’s not hardy in most of the United States. It prefers partial shade and moist, well-drained soil.
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Comments
This 'house' plant is one of my favorites. I love the structural quality of the leaves... very dramatic. If you have humidity and a bit of shade... neighbors will be knocking at your door to find out what you have planted in your garden.
WOW this is great. How big does this plant get. I may want to get one[?] if I have the space.
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