The Amazon Elephant’s Ear plant, also known as Alocasia x Amazonica, is a striking and elegant houseplant known for its huge, arrow-shaped green leaves. But in order to keep your Elephant’s Ear healthy and help it thrive it’s important to understand how much sunlight it needs. In this complete care guide we’ll cover everything you need to know about providing the right sunlight conditions for your Amazon Elephant’s Ear.
An Overview of the Amazon Elephant’s Ear Plant
Native to tropical regions of Asia the Amazon Elephant’s Ear is a fast-growing aroid that can reach up to 6 feet tall and 3-4 feet wide. The most recognizable feature of this plant are the big, heart-shaped leaves that can grow over 3 feet long! The leaves are a deep green color with contrasting white, silver, or light green colored veins. The foliage has a beautiful tropical look making the Elephant’s Ear a favorite for indoor decor as well as outdoor landscaping.
While they make impressive houseplants, Amazon Elephant’s Ear can also be grown outside in USDA hardiness zones 9-11 These plants thrive in warm, humid environments with high rainfall Indoors, they make great accent plants that add drama and vibrancy to any space.
Light Requirements for Elephant’s Ear Plants
When it comes to sunlight for your Elephant’s Ear, the most important thing to know is that this plant prefers bright, indirect light.
Direct hot sunlight will scorch the leaves, causing brown crispy edges and spots. So it’s essential to provide bright light while avoiding several hours of direct sun rays shining on the foliage. Here are some more details on the light needs of Elephant’s Ear plants:
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Indoors: Place your Elephant’s Ear near an east or west facing window where it will receive consistent bright, indirect light throughout the day. Avoid south facing windows unless you can provide shade. North facing windows usually don’t provide enough light.
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Outdoors: Plant your Elephant’s Ear in a partially shaded spot. Look for areas that receive maybe only 4 hours of morning sun or late afternoon sun with shade during the intense midday sun. Dappled sun under trees is an ideal lighting condition.
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Light intensity: These plants grow best in 60-80% shade. Measure the light intensity in the location you plan to place your Elephant’s Ear with a light meter app on your phone. Indoors, aim for 200-800 foot-candles. Outdoors, ideal light levels are 2000-4000 foot-candles.
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Too much light: Leaves turning brown or yellow with scorched, crisp edges indicate too much direct light. Move to a shadier spot.
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Too little light: Slow growth, smaller leaves, and leggy stems reaching toward the light show your plant needs more brightness. Gradually move to a location with more indirect sunlight.
Other Care Tips for Elephant’s Ear Plants
To keep your Elephant’s Ear thriving happily in the right light conditions, here are some other key care tips:
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Water frequently to keep the soil consistently moist but not soggy. Let the top inch dry out between waterings. Lower leaves turning yellow can indicate overwatering.
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Use a well-draining potting mix made for aroids and tropical plants. Add perlite to improve drainage.
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Fertilize monthly in the spring and summer with a balanced liquid fertilizer diluted to half strength.
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Maintain warm temperatures between 65°F-85°F. These tropical plants can’t tolerate any frost and do best in very warm, humid conditions.
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Increase humidity by misting the leaves daily or placing on a pebble tray.
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Prune off any dead, damaged, or diseased foliage. Remove spent leaves and flower stems.
Troubleshooting Lighting Issues with Elephant’s Ear
If your Elephant’s Ear plant begins showing signs of stress related to improper lighting, here are some troubleshooting tips:
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Brown leaf edges – This usually indicates too much direct sun. Move to a shadier area.
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Smaller leaves – Increase brightness if possible to stimulate larger growth.
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Slow growth – Your plant likely needs more light. Rotate the pot regularly so all sides get light exposure.
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Leggy growth – Give your plant more direct sunlight for a few hours daily to promote compact growth.
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Wilting or drooping leaves – Can indicate too much sun but is more likely due to underwatering. Check soil moisture and water if dry.
The Perfect Light for Lush, Healthy Elephant’s Ear Plants
Providing just the right amount of bright, indirect sunlight is crucial for the Amazon Elephant’s Ear to thrive. Place these tropical beauties in a warm spot with 60-80% shade outdoors or adjacent to an filtered sunny window indoors. Avoid direct hot sunlight to prevent leaf burn. With proper lighting conditions and attentive care, your Elephant’s Ear plant will reward you with huge, dramatic foliage that makes a stunning focal point in any interior or exterior space.
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How to fertilize Amazonian Elephant’s Ear
Most potting soils come with ample nutrients which plants use to produce new growth.
By the time your plant has depleted the nutrients in its soil it’s likely grown enough to need a larger pot anyway.
To replenish this plants nutrients, repot your Amazonian Elephants Ear after it doubles in size or once a year—whichever comes first.
Amazonian Elephants Ear prefers for the soil to dry out between waterings and should be watered regularly. Use our water calculator to personalize watering recommendations to your environment or download Greg for more advanced recommendations for all of your plants.
Amazonian Elephants Ear may have difficulty thriving and will drop leaves without ample sunlight. Place it less than 3 feet from a window to maximize the potential for growth. Select your region to see how the current weather in your area affects the placement in your home .
Greg does not have confirmed data on this plant’s toxicity. If you, a family member, or a pet consumes plant material of unknown toxicity, it’s always best to consult a medical professional.
If you or someone else ingested this plant, call Poison Control at US (800) 222-1222. If a pet consumed this plant, contact your veterinarian or the ASPCA at US (888) 426-4435.
Amazonian Elephants Ear prefers dry environments. Providing extra humidity or misting your plant allows water to linger on leaves, which can create the perfect environment for harmful types of fungi.
Amazonian Elephants Ear is very sensitive to dry soil, so choose a potting soil that retains moisture. A good soil will still drain well and contain lots of organic matter such as coco coir or sphagnum moss.
Amazonian Elephants Ear is a fast growing plant and may deplete the nutrients in its soil over time. Replenish them with a gentle organic fertilizer or compost every 1-2 months depending on your location and season. Fertilize more often during the growing season and in warmer and brighter climates.
It’s common for Amazonian Elephants Ear to go dormant in the wintertime and you may notice their growth slow down. Waterings should be spaced out more during this time.
Amazonian Elephants Ear is native to tropical and subtropical Asia and Eastern Australia.
When troubleshooting a sad-looking houseplant, start by checking for signs of distress in its leaves, such as yellowing, browning, or drooping, which can indicate overwatering or nutrient deficiencies.
Inspect the soil moisture; too dry or too wet soil can cause problems.
Ensure the plant is getting the right amount of light, as too much or too little can stress it.
Finally, consider environmental factors like temperature and humidity, and adjust care routines accordingly to revive your plant.
Taxonomy Scientific name
Amazonian Elephants Ear needs 0.5 cups of water every 9 when it doesn’t get direct sunlight and is potted in a 5″ pot.
Use our water calculator to personalize watering recommendations to your environment or download Greg for more advanced recommendations for all of your plants.
Water 0.5 cups every 9
Does your plant get direct sunlight? No Yes
Select the pot size
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