WILD SPECIESAlocasia Black Velvet
Alocasia reginula
Also sold as: Alocasia Ninja
Alocasia reginula, black velvet, is a species of flowering cormous aroid, native to Sabah state in Malaysia. This plant, often referred to as one of the "jewel" Alocasias, became increasingly popular among plant hobbyists between the years 2018 to 2020. Until as recently as 2021 though, not much was known about the plant or its origins. Originally described from cultivation, and often sold as “Alocasia 'Black Velvet'”, it is not a modern cultivar or hybrid; A. reginula is its own natural species. It is only known from dry, deeply shaded limestone cliffs in Tabin Wildlife Reserve. As a houseplant it needs sharp drainage or it will very likely rot. Fun fact: nurseries sometimes sell this species under the trade name "Alocasia Ninja" — a marketing name for the same species, not a distinct plant.
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
- AlboRare
- AureaUncommon
- PinkCommon
- TricolorUncommon
Tiers are relative, not exact prices — see “Before you buy” below.
Before you buy
The velvet-black albo is the headline; price tracks how cleanly the white contrasts and how stable it is.
- Black Velvet albo reverts and rots easily — buy an established plant with at least two stable variegated leaves, not a single-leaf plantlet.
- Ninja is the same plant as Black Velvet; don't pay a premium for the name.
- Tricolor and pink forms exist but are subtle — check real photos, not colour-boosted ones.
Prices vary a lot by country — tiers show relative cost, not exact amounts.
