If you love Mickey Mouse, you will likely love this Alocasia Mickey Mouse plant. The Alocasia Mickey Mouse has wide elephant-like ears with green and white color variations. The large, variegated leaves resemble Disney’s Mickey Mouse ears which most likely gave way to the naming of this plant.
The scientific name for Alocasia Mickey Mouse is Xanthosoma Variegata. The word Xanthosoma is Greek and can be broken down into “Zanthos” meaning yellow, and “Soma” meaning body. Put these two together, and it means yellow-bodied plant. These “yellow-body” refers to the yellow inner tissues of the plant. Variegata can be compared to the word “variable” in English, which refers to the green and white color variation on the leaves.
The fact that the scientific name is Xanthosoma Variegata can be quite confusing since its colloquial name is Alocasia Mickey Mouse. Although this plant is not Alocasia, this phenomenon can be explained. While the genus is Xanthosoma, it is still a part of the Araceae Family. Plants that are a part of the Aracae family have wide elephant ears just like this Alocasia Mickey Mouse and resemble other Alocasias.
Alocasia Mickey Mouse plants are native to tropical regions of the world. The large leaves most likely evolved to get more sunlight from the bottom of the rainforest floor.
Aside from being a lovely houseplant companion, these plants have practical uses. They are used for food in many tropical regions.
In an indoor environment, this plant is about 4 feet. This plant’s leaves are around 9 inches long and about 7 inches wide.
Contents
Light
The Alocasia Mickey Mouse would naturally be found at the bottom of the rainforest and receive light filtered by the dense canopy layers above. Therefore, the Alocasia Mickey Mouse needs plenty of indirect sunlight. This plant does not tolerate direct light very well. If your plant is indoors, keep it in the corner of a well-lit room. If this plant is outdoors, make sure it is shaded by something. If your plant is getting too much light, it will tell you by developing burnt leaves.
Temperature
Alocasia Mickey Mouse plants enjoy warm temperatures. They do best in temperatures ranging from 60 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit. While this plant loves warmer temperatures and will tolerate anything in this range, it hates cold temperatures. If the temperature drops below 50 degrees, it could mean death for this plant. If you live in a colder area that experiences winter and fall, consider moving your plant inside or away from cold windows during this time.
Humidity
Alocasia Mickey Mouse loves humidity since they are originally from a humid, tropical climate. They like moisture levels to be 80% or above but can tolerate much lower. If you want your plant to grow, amp up the humidity. If you live in a particularly dry area, consider investing in a humidifier for your home. If you do not want to invest in a humidifier, you could also consider misting the plant with a spray bottle. Alternatively, you could rest the plant’s pot on a bed of rocks in water.
Although the Alocasia Mickey Mouse loves humidity, it does not love stagnant humidity. While making sure that your plant has enough moisture in its environment, ensure that it receives enough ventilation to prevent diseases and fungus growth.
Fertilizer
The Alocasia Mickey Mouse loves to have added nutrients in the soil. If you want your plant to grow larger, consider adding fertilizer. Any store-bought fertilizer will do. Just ensure that you only add the fertilizer during the growing periods of summer and spring. Since your plant will most likely be dormant during the winter, it will not need the added nutrients.
Be cautious not to over-fertilize this plant. Overfertilization could mean death. Make sure you are using mild concentrations of fertilizer and dilute the fertilizer with water.
Alocasia Mickey Mouse Propagation
Alocasia Mickey Mouse plants are relatively easy to propagate. It would be best if you only propagated them during the growing period of the summer and spring. This plant will not like being propagated during the dormant period of winter. The most common method to use to propagate these plants is propagation by division.
As the name implies, it just means to divide up your plant. If you want to kill two birds with one stone, it is recommended to propagate this plant when you are repotting it. That said, you do not need to repot the plant to propagate it.
A mature Alocasia Mickey mouse will start to produce baby plants attached to its base. These baby plants are also known as puppies in the plant world. Take a knife or scissors sterilized with hot water and cut off some of the puppies. Once they are loose from the parent plant, you can place them in a new pot with new soil.
Avoid watering your newly propagated plants too much during the first month. This could drown them out. It is recommended to use a spray bottle to mist your delicate, new plants gently. Please wait until the soil is mostly dry to water them again.
Make sure that your new propagated plants also have the correct lighting. They should not be in direct sunlight. They enjoy medium light. After the first month and your new plants have established themselves, you can care for them normally.
Alocasia Mickey Mouse Soil
Since this plant is native to tropical regions with rich soil, we can assume that Alocasia Mickey Mouse loves nutrient-dense soil. You can use any normal indoor potting mix and add the extra nutrients with compost or fertilizer. The soil should also be well drained, so you do not encounter fungus or root rot. For this reason, it is suggested to add perlite to the soil. If you would like a more ecological option to create root aeration, you could use peat moss or river sand. Also, make sure you use a pot with drainage holes to avoid excess water accumulating.
Repotting
Alocasia Mickey Mouse does not require frequent repotting to survive. However, you may prefer your plant to be thriving instead of just surviving. This plant will grow to the bounds of its environment, so if you want a bigger plant, you will need a bigger pot. If the roots are starting to come out of the drainage holes of your pot, this is a good sign that it is time to invest in a bigger pot for your plant. It is recommended to choose a pot that is two times the size of the previous pot so that your Alocasia Mickey Mouse has sufficient room to grow.
To repot this lovely plant, carefully wiggle your Alocasia Mickey Mouse out of its original pot and untangle the roots a bit. This would also be a good time to propagate your plant if you want to create more plants. Once you have untangled the roots, please put it in its new home with a little soil already existing on the bottom. Proceed by filling in the rest of the pot with soil and finish off by watering it. This could be thought of as tucking your plant in. As with any plant, be mindful of overwatering, especially as your plant is getting adjusted to its new home.
Alocasia Mickey Mouse Variegated
People often refer to the Alocasia Mickey Mouse as variegated. What exactly does it mean that your plant is variegated? Simply put, this means that there are color differences on the leaf. The Alocasia Mickey Mouse has leaves that are a combination of green and white. What makes this plant particularly amazing is that every leaf is unique from one another. Because the Alocasia Mickey Mouse is variegated, they cannot be mass-produced. Every Alocasia Mickey Mouse plant has to be propagated from an existing plant.
Alocasia Mickey Mouse FAQs
How do you prune a Mickey Mouse plant?
Since the Alocasia Mickey Mouse is toxic, it is recommended to wear gloves when pruning this tropical plant. You will notice that as your plant grows, some leaves will die. These old and dead leaves take up energy from the plant. If you want to help contribute to plant growth and keep your plant healthy looking, simply cut off the dead leaves.
Since this plant can grow very large, you may need to prune it to make it shorter. Pruning it will result in a bushier plant. Just make sure you are trimming at the nodes.
Is the Mickey Mouse plant poisonous?
Yes. The Mickey Mouse plant is poisonous due to toxins found within the plant. Since this plant is a part of the Alocasia family, it is considered an aroid. Most Aroids are toxic.
It is recommended to keep this plant away from children and pets. It can cause skin irritations and small blisters. If you are pruning this plant, make sure to wear gloves. Ingesting this plant raw can irritate your throat and sinus system, so please do not eat it without some research put into it first.
If your child or pet ingests this plant, seek medical attention.
Is the Mickey Mouse plant a caladium?
Surprisingly, the Alocasia Mickey Mouse is not a caladium. It is not even an Alocasia. This plant belongs to the Xanthosoma genus. Although it is part of a different genius, Alocasia Mickey Mouse is still related to a caladium. It could be thought of as a sister to the caladium.
How often should you water a Mickey Mouse plant?
Since the Alocasia Mickey Mouse is native to tropical regions that experience heavy rainfall year round, this plant loves water. That said, you also do not want to overwater your plant because they are still susceptible to fungus growth and root rot. The rule of thumb when watering this plant is to water the soil thoroughly all the way through and wait until the upper layer of the soil gets dry before watering again.
You can do a finger test to check if your Alocasia Mickey Mouse is ready to water. Just put your finger in the top couple of inches of soil to see how wet it is. If your finger feels dry, it is probably time to water your plant.
How often you should water your Alocasia Mickey mouse depends heavily on the environment that you live in. If you live in a very humid place, you will probably need to water your plant less than someone in a very dry climate.
That being said, the normal frequency to water your plant is about two or three times a week during the warmth of the spring and summer months. Spring and summer are when your plant will be growing the most and need the most water. During the winter, your plant will be dormant and not require much water.
How big does a Mickey Mouse plant grow?
Alocasia Mickey Mouse can grow to be about 6 feet tall in an outdoor environment. How big it can get indoors depends on the type of growing environment available to it. In an indoor environment, it is most likely to grow to be the size of around 3 to 5 feet. This is not to say that it cannot get even bigger given the right growing conditions.
Summary
The Alocasia Mickey Mouse plant is beautiful with its variegated leaves and large size. Its large leaves resemble the large ears of Mickey Mouse. Each of the leaves is unique in how they display the green and white color variegation. They grow to be very large but will only grow as big as their environment allows. These plants enjoy high humidity, filtered lighting, and nutrient-rich soil. Remember that these plants are toxic, so please keep them away from children and animals.
Where to Buy Alocasia Mickey Mouse
If you are interested in owning your own Alocasia Mickey Mouse or want to check the price, the Alocasia Mickey Mouse is available for sale from different sellers on Etsy.
