ALOCASIA ‘BALLON HEART’
Alocasia sanderiana x Alocasia longiloba ‘Watsoniana’
PARENTAGE: A. sanderiana x A. longiloba ‘Watsoniana’
SYNONYMS: Alocasia ‘Heart Balloon’, Alocasia ‘Balloon Hearts’, 알로카시아 하트벌룬 (Alrokasia Hateu Beollun)
HYBRIDIZER: The exact origin of this Alocasia ‘Amazonica’ mutation is unknown, but it seems to have originated from a South Korean Tissue culture lab and started appearing on the market as early as October 2021
VARIEGATED FORMS: White (Sectoral, Mottled, Ghost), Pink
DESCRIPTION:
The original cross has been one of the most prolific in the genus Alocasia, with some of its “cousins” being more famously known than the others:
Alocasia ‘Amazonica’ by Salvadore Mauro of Amazon Nursery
Alocasia ‘Mark Campbell’ by David Fell of Hawaiian Sunshine Nursery
Alocasia ‘Mortefontanensis’ by Édouard-François André
Alocasia ‘Polly’ by Bill Rotolante of Silver Krome Gardens
Alocasia ‘Purpley’ by Bill Rotolante of Silver Krome Gardens
Given the high variability of what literature labeled as Alocasia longiloba it is not surprising that the results of this cross by multiple hybridizers have produced such different hybrids. One can group Alocasia ‘Jean Merkel’ and Alocasia ‘Mark Campbell’ together, while Alocasia ‘Amazonica’, Alocasia ‘Mortefontanesis’ and Alocasia ‘Purpley’ are also closely related.
