Well, that's why I said when I posted that that "your mileage may vary",lol.

Its hard to tell people exactly what to expect and how their plants "should" behave when your comditions are quite a bit different from theirs.

I can only tell you my experience HERE where I live. Perhaps you can draw from it. If it helps you that's great, if not, you may have to rely on the experience of someone in your same zone.

Alocasia, Colocasia and Xanthosoma grown outdoors in the ground, or in water or a bog situation here are very variable in their reaction to cooler temps. We are in zone 9, but barely. On average, we get a few "frosts" (defined by ME at MY HOUSE as nights where the temps are between 27-32F) and a few "freezes" defined again by ME as between 20-27F.

Xanthosoma and colocasia grown in water (ponds, natural bogs) sometimes NEVER go dormant. They can stay up all winter, even through freezes to 25-32F here. Sometimes it takes temps in the 20-25F range to knock mine back.

However, Xanthosoma and colocasia grown as purely terrestrial plants in the ground will begin to respond FIRST to the decrease in water that accompanies the onset of fall here (we typically have very dry winters)by producing less leaves and smaller leaves. They are also responding to the shorter days. Once the temps fall into the upper 40's/low 50's at night and stay there, some of the terrestrial colocasia will disappear. Some won't. I find it depends on where they are planted. Those planted under tree canopy get less winter sun and disappear. Those in full sun stay longer.

Alocasias are variable in their response to cooler temps as well. I have several species planted in my yard and they all behave a little differently.

The trunking forms of alocasia (culcullata, calidora, odora, portodora, sinuatis, etc) will maintain their foliage usually until it freezes off in the 20-32 range. The trunks, however, stay intact, and generally no action is needed to protect them in our winters.

The non-trunking forms (macrorhizza, frydek, black stem, plumbea etc) act more like colocasias. They begin to respond to less water and less light well before they begin to respond to cold. By the time the temps are in the 40's and 50's, they have usually disappeared for the season. They are dormant UNDER the ground, and we either just ignore them or maybe mulch over them til spring, when they pop right out again.

If I was going to try to bring a container of alocasia inside for winter, I would bring it in NOW and put it in front of my sunniest window, and water it once a week. If the conditions were to its liking, it would stay up and growing as a houseplant. If not, the leaves would die back, then I would put it in, maybe, the laundry room? til Spring.

Thanks, Bihai. Great detailed information on the different species - not just what to do, but why to do it.

Gerry