WILD SPECIESAlocasia sanderiana
Alocasia sanderiana, commonly known as the kris plant or Sander's alocasia, is a plant in the family Araceae. It is endemic to Northern Mindanao in the Philippines, but is commonly grown as an ornamental plant worldwide. It is classified as critically endangered in the wild by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Fun fact: its species epithet honors William Bull, a 19th-century London nurseryman who first published the species in his 1884 plant catalogue — the source of the mistaken trade name "Sanderiana Bull" that some sellers market as if it were a distinct cultivar.
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
- PinkRare
- MintVery rare
Tiers are relative, not exact prices — see “Before you buy” below.
Before you buy
What you pay for is variegation that holds — a plain green is cheap; a stable aurea, pink, or mint runs several times more.
- Ask for photos of several leaves: variegation showing only on the newest leaf often reverts as the plant grows.
- Mint and aurea are the most stable; heavy white sectors look striking but grow slower and are easier to lose.
- Never buy variegated sanderiana sold as seed — variegation almost never comes true from seed.
Prices vary a lot by country — tiers show relative cost, not exact amounts.
