Alocasia Drooping or Losing Leaves? Dormancy, Watering and What to Do

An alocasia (elephant ear) drooping or dropping leaves in autumn is very often going dormant, not dying. These plants grow from a corm, a bulb-like root, and when light and warmth drop they can shed leaves and rest until spring. The other common causes are overwatering, cold and spider mites. The difference matters, because the fix for dormancy is to do less, and the fix for the others is to act quickly. Here's how to tell which you're dealing with. Caladiums, their close relatives, behave the same way.

Is it dormancy?

Signs it's resting rather than dying:

• It's autumn or winter, and the plant gets less light than it did.
• Leaves yellow and die back one at a time, oldest first.
• The stems and corm at the base are firm, not soft or smelly.
• Often a small new leaf keeps going even as old ones fall.

What to do: - Water much less: only when the soil is dry most of the way down. - Don't fertilise. - Keep it warm, above 60°F (15°C), in the brightest indirect light you have. - Remove leaves only once they're fully yellow or brown. - Be patient. New growth usually returns in spring when light increases.

If every leaf dies back, check the corm: gently feel at the base of the stems. A firm corm is alive. Keep the soil barely moist and wait.

Caladiums go fully dormant every winter by design. Many growers stop watering, let the leaves die, and store the tubers dry and warm until spring.

Overwatering (the most common way to kill one)

Signs: drooping with wet soil, yellowing leaves, stems soft or mushy at the base, a sour smell, sometimes fungus gnats.

What to do: 1. Stop watering and let the soil dry out more. 2. If stems are mushy, tip the plant out and check the corm and roots. Healthy roots are firm and pale; rotten ones are brown and mushy. 3. Cut away rotten parts with clean scissors, and repot in fresh, chunky, fast-draining mix (add bark or perlite) in a pot with drainage.

See overwatering vs underwatering and how to save a dying plant.

Underwatering

Signs: drooping with dry soil, crispy brown edges, leaves curling. It usually perks up within a few hours of a good water.

What to do: water thoroughly when the top inch or two is dry during the growing season. Alocasias like steady moisture in spring and summer, never soggy.

Cold

Alocasias are tropical. Below about 60°F (15°C), or in a cold draught, they droop, get dark patches and drop leaves fast.

What to do: move it away from cold windows, doors and air conditioning, and keep it warm.

Spider mites

Alocasias are spider mite magnets, especially in dry indoor air.

Signs: fine speckling or yellow dots on leaves, fine webbing under leaves or where the leaf meets the stem, dull, dusty-looking leaves.

What to do: rinse the leaves top and bottom in the shower, wipe them down, raise the humidity, and treat with insecticidal soap or neem if they come back. Our guide to spider mites and mealybugs has the full method.

Drooping after repotting or moving

Alocasias often sulk for a week or two after a move or new pot. Keep conditions steady, don't overwater, and give it time.

Is alocasia safe for pets?

No. Alocasias contain calcium oxalate crystals, which cause painful mouth irritation, drooling and vomiting if a cat or dog chews them. It's rarely dangerous but very unpleasant. See our list of houseplants toxic to cats and dogs.

If you're not sure whether yours is resting or in trouble, Planted can look at a photo and tell you what's most likely going on.

Common questions

Why is my alocasia drooping?

Most often overwatering, especially in cooler months. Other causes are underwatering, cold and spider mites. In autumn, the plant may simply be going dormant.

Is my alocasia dying or dormant?

If leaves are dying one at a time in autumn or winter and the corm at the base is firm, it's probably dormant. Soft, mushy stems and wet soil mean rot.

Will my alocasia grow back?

If the corm is firm, yes. Keep it warm, water sparingly, and new leaves usually appear in spring.

How often should I water an alocasia?

In spring and summer, when the top inch or two of soil is dry. In autumn and winter, much less: only when the soil is dry most of the way down.