WILD SPECIESAlocasia melo
Also sold as: Alocasia rugosa
RARITYCommon → Very rare
PRICE$ – $$$across 3 forms
Alocasia melo is a species of flowering plant in the family Araceae, native to Sabah state in Malaysia. It grows on ultramafic soils. In the houseplant trade it is often sold as "Alocasia rugosa" due to its highly rugose leaves.
Gallery
Young plant
Grown & mature
Variegation examples
Forms & market value
Every named form of this plant, ordered by how hard it is to find.
- Standard (green)Common
- AureaRare
- AlboVery rare
Tiers are relative, not exact prices — see “Before you buy” below.
Before you buy
Melo's variegated forms (albo, aurea, tricolor) are scarce; the tricolor is the rarest and priciest.
- Melo is slow and sensitive; buy an established variegated plant, since plantlets are easy to lose and slow to prove stable.
- Tricolor melo is genuinely rare — verify all three tones appear across leaves, not one multi-toned fluke leaf.
Prices vary a lot by country — tiers show relative cost, not exact amounts.
Care
LIGHTBright indirect, avoid direct sun
WATERKeep lightly moist
HUMIDITYHigh
Native range
Wild species — occurs in nature
NATIVE TOSabah, Malaysia
