AMORPHOPHALLUS
BULBIFER
Voodoo Lily
Amorphophallus bulbifer is one of the prettiest of the Voodoo Lilies and the
inflorescence doesn't smell that bad compared to others of the genus.
Amorphophallus
only blooms when mature and even so it doesn't bloom every year. The unpleasant
smell that the flower omits is only present for a few hours after the flower
opens. If the flower is pollinated (normally by flies if
the plant is outside) it will take 1 year
for the plant to mature its seeds. The seed stalk is very pretty with the
seeds changing colors from green to red. During this time the tuber will not
produce a leaf.
The
Voodoo Lily likes shade and sheltered locations. Outside in the shade is best.
The plant normally starts to go dormant around September. I prefer to keep
the plant in the pot and bring the pot inside when it gets too cold. A little
bit of water once a month is beneficial to the tuber, but remember to keep
the soil mostly dry. Around the end of February it is time to dig up the tuber,
separate the offsets if any and repot the older tuber to a bigger pot if necessary.
Amorphophallus
bulbifer gets its name due to the bulbis that
form on top of the leaves. The bulbils are like "little bulbs" and
when the plant goes dormant they fall to the ground and start new plants the
next spring.
Instructions
These are quite easy
to grow. Amorphophallus
will go dormant in the winter. Plant
the tubers in pots at least 4" wider than the tuber. The depth for planting
the tubers will depend on its size. Small tubers should be buried around 2"-3"
deep. Large tubers around 6"-10". Use a good quality potting mix.
Make sure that the top of the
plant is facing up. When
dormant, don't
give it too much water, let the soil dry out. Keep it dry for a couple of
weeks and then water it again. Don't fertilize.
Repeat this process until the tuber wakes up in the spring. At that time you
can start watering regularly and fertilizing the plant.
In the spring, if the tuber is mature enough, you will see the flowers, otherwise
a leaf will sprout. Very
often they form clumps with the flower appearing between the leaves. They
should start going dormant again in the fall. The tuber can be dug up by late
winter if necessary.
FAMILY :
Araceae
ORIGIN : Himalayas, India, Burma
SIZE : 4'
LIGHT
REQUIREMENTS :
shade
WATER REQUIREMENTS
:
keep dry during dormancy,
keep moist during growing period
MIN. TEMP. : low 30's
FLOWER : in the spring on mature plants
