Intraveinal (?) chlorosis on Alocasia Polly houseplant - Ask Extension
Hello there! I'm trying to help my friend 'Kay's" new plant, an alocasia 'Polly.' She was gifted this plant and brought it home 8 days ago. I'm t...
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Intraveinal (?) chlorosis on Alocasia Polly houseplant #922911
Asked December 16, 2025, 3:19 PM EST
Hello there! I'm trying to help my friend 'Kay's" new plant, an alocasia 'Polly.' She was gifted this plant and brought it home 8 days ago. I'm told both of it's two leaves were fine then, but now the oldest and biggest leaf is yellowing from the veins outward (is that intraveinal chlorosis? Or veinal chlorosis? I usually only see interveinal yellowing.)
It was very dry, so Kay watered it immediately after receiving it. The person who had gifted it had repotted it and added perlite, after purchasing it from a plant store. Kay said she fully saturated it with water when she got it 8 days ago. She used a 1/4tsp of Happy Happy Houseplant fertilizer in a gallon of water. It's in a 4.5" pot with drainage. This alocasia is less than two feet from a west facing window that has a sheer curtain in front of it. Kay says that the soil feels and smells like fresh earth, with no funky ick smells.
I know it might not be possible to diagnose from a single picture, but I would be very obliged if you might be able to tell me all the possible reasons that would cause a leaf to get chlorosis starting with the veins. (Picture 1 is the day she got it, Picture 2 is 8 days later.) I am very curious about this because I rarely see it. It just doesn't look like normal drought yellowing, mechanical damage, pests, or sunburn since it's so even. (But I do not have this houseplant, I hope I'm not making a mountain out of a mole hill). I was thinking perhaps the roots got damaged in the repot and cannot transport nutrients up to the leaf? Any advice would be greatly appreciated, and thank you very much for your attention to this matter.
Multnomah CountyOregon
Expert Response
Thank you for your question, Nadia. I believe that the plant’s leaf problems stem from too much water, even if it is draining, especially in the winter and indoors. The fertilizer she is using is 9-3-6 (9% nitrogen, 3% phosphorus and 6% potassium), so chlorosis is probably not the culprit. I suggest that she read the following, and apply the advice to her plant’s care: https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/alocasia/