# Amorphophallus: Planting and Care ## Introduction The *Amorphophallus*, commonly known as the "Voodoo Lily" or "Devil's Tongue," is a fascinating tuberous plant renowned for its spectacular inflorescence and distinctive scent. Native to tropical regions of Asia and Africa, this exotic plant will add an unusual touch to your garden or indoor space. ## Planting ### When to Plant The best time to plant *Amorphophallus* tubers is in **spring**, once the risk of frost has passed and the soil has warmed up. ### Where to Plant - **Outdoors**: Choose a **sheltered, partially shaded** spot with well-draining, humus-rich soil. - **Indoors**: Plant in a **large pot** with drainage holes, using a mix of potting compost and perlite. ### How to Plant 1. **Prepare the soil**: Loosen it and enrich it with compost. 2. **Plant the tuber**: Place it **horizontally**, about **10–15 cm deep**, with the growing tip facing upwards. 3. **Water lightly**: Keep the soil **moist but not waterlogged**. ## Care ### Watering - **During growth**: Water **regularly**, ensuring the soil stays **damp**. - **Dormancy period (winter)**: **Reduce watering** significantly to prevent rot. ### Fertilising Apply a **balanced liquid fertiliser** every **2–3 weeks** during the growing season to support vigorous growth. ### Winter Care - **In cold climates**: Dig up tubers before the first frost and store them in a **cool, dry place** (10–12°C). - **In pots**: Move indoors to a frost-free location. ## Common Issues ### Pests & Diseases - **Slugs and snails**: Protect young shoots with organic deterrents. - **Root rot**: Avoid overwatering and ensure good drainage. ### Flowering & Scent The **large, striking flower** emits a strong odour resembling **rotting meat** to attract pollinators—best appreciated from a distance! ## Conclusion With its dramatic appearance and easy-care nature, *Amorphophallus* is a must-have for exotic plant enthusiasts. Follow these simple guidelines, and you’ll enjoy its unique beauty year after year. **Tip**: Pair it with ferns or hostas for a striking tropical effect! --- *Happy gardening!* ????

Description and botany

The Amorphophallus is a perennial tuberous plant from the Araceae family, like the Arum or Calla or florist’s arum (Zantedeschia). The Amorphophallus genus includes 170 species native to tropical and subtropical regions of Asia, among others, and around 400 hybrids. They grow naturally in open forests, on limestone hills, or at high altitudes. Some species are endemic to Nepal and Bangladesh, found in the Himalayan mountains.

Amorphophallus is often grown in pots in our climate as it dislikes winter moisture and is not very hardy, requiring protection from the cold in winter.

This herbaceous perennial develops from a large tuberised root. The tuber takes various shapes depending on the species—globular, flattened, elongated, or irregular. It can measure up to 80 centimetres and weigh between 1 and 15 kg, sometimes much more depending on the species. The Amorphophallus titanum, or titan arum, is exceptionally large, with a root that can eventually exceed 80 cm in diameter. The Amorphophallus konjac also reaches extraordinary sizes.

Amorphophallus titanum (left), Amorphophallus napalensis and Amorphophallus konjac in flower

In its early years after planting, the plant first produces leaves, which are deciduous and disappear in winter. The foliage emerges in spring, usually in May-June, as a sturdy green petiole. At its tip, the leaf blade unfolds into a large, solitary green leaf divided into numerous leaflets with prominent veins. This leaf can reach 1.80 to 2.20 m in height and lasts about 4 months. In their natural habitat, the leaf blade can span 4 m wide in the largest species. The Amorphophallus bulbifer uniquely produces bulblets in the axils of the leaflets and petiole branches—a true botanical curiosity.

The spectacular flowering is rare and not to everyone’s olfactory taste! It only occurs on mature plants after several years. Some species are slower to flower and reflower. Flowering happens after 2 to 4 years and then annually in some, like the Amorphophallus bulbifer. It is not always yearly and may appear randomly over the years.

From late spring to late summer, the bulb produces an inflorescence above ground, at the base of the plant, before the foliage. Typical of Araceae, it consists of a bract shaped like a funnel, called a spathe, enveloping a spadix—a fleshy spike of flowers. This central, erect, fleshy column resembles a phallus, hence the plant’s vernacular name meaning “misshapen penis” in Greek. It can reach impressive proportions in some Amorphophallus, nearing 70 cm in length. The spathe measures about 20 to 30 cm in height. Once again, the Amorphophallus titanum stands out with its flower nearing 2.50 m tall—one of the largest in the vegetable kingdom!

The spathe colours range from brown-purple, soft pink, violet-purple, greenish-white, to pale yellow-green. The long spadix is white, yellow with a brown-pink base, or dark purple depending on the species, creating a striking contrast with the surrounding spathe.

Some Araceae ready for fertilisation emit a putrid, foul odour designed to attract pollinating insects, particularly flies and bees—an extraordinary strategy! The inner cage is lined with ridges to temporarily trap them. The insects remain imprisoned in the spathe long enough to pollinate the female flowers, then are released the next day covered in pollen to fertilise another spathe.

These spathe flowers are followed by globular berries—red, orange, white, yellow, or blue depending on the species—clustered in tight bunches.

The plant disappears during extreme heat. It enters dormancy in late summer, spending winter underground at rest before re-emerging in spring after replenishing its nutrient reserves.

The tuber of the Amorphophallus campanulatus is edible and commonly used in Asian cuisine.

Tuber, foliage and fruit of Amorphophallus konjac

Main species and varieties

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Planting Amorphophallus bulbs

Where to plant it?

Adapted to a tropical climate, hardy down to -10°C in very well-drained soil, this exceptional plant can only be grown in the ground in our mild and less rainy regions. In summer, Amorphophallus needs a minimum daytime temperature of 22°C. It is essential to grow it in pots that you can shelter indoors during winter in colder and wetter regions. Overwintering the bulbs or pots in a cool, well-ventilated space will be necessary.

Give Amorphophallus bulbs a spot in dappled sunlight or partial shade; they need light to flower but cannot tolerate scorching exposure. As in nature, Amorphophallus grows in forests and damp woodland undergrowth, so plant it in well-drained, light soil rich in organic matter with a slightly acidic tendency, typical of woodland soil that remains moist from May to September. Waterlogged conditions would encourage tuber rot. Maintain soil moisture with a good mulch during the growing season.

It also needs space as its leaf can reach up to 2 m in height.

When to plant Amorphophallus?

Amorphophallus bulbs should be planted in the ground in spring, from March to May, when there is no longer any risk of frost.

How to plant it?

In the ground

Prepare the soil well by digging it over. If your soil is too heavy, add compost and gravel if water tends to stagnate. Ensure the bulb is planted deep enough so it remains stable and can support the large leaf to come.

• Dig a hole three times the size of the bulb
• Place the bulb at the bottom, 30-50 cm deep (about 2 to 2.5 times its diameter)
• Fill with a mix of heather soil and compost
• Water
• Mulch the soil once the plant is established

In pots

Amorphophallus bulbs are well-suited to container growing, especially as they are quite sensitive to cold. Choose a pot large enough, at least twice as wide and deep as the tuber, to allow good root development. The substrate should be light and rich. A mix of 50% good-quality compost, 25% perlite or pumice, and 25% heather soil will work well.

• Place a drainage layer of clay pebbles at the bottom of the pot
• Partially fill with the mix (about 5-10 cm)
• Position the bulb so it is buried 2 to 2.5 times its diameter deep
• Fill with the enriched soil mix, adding a slow-release fertiliser
• Water and keep moist
• Move the pot outside after the last frost and place it in partial shade

Amorphophallus titan grown in a pot

Cultivation and care

In the ground

The Amorphophallus is easy to grow provided a few simple steps are followed. In colder regions where temperatures regularly drop below -10°C, lifting the bulbs from the ground is necessary to protect them from frost. Treat them like dahlia bulbs—once the first frosts arrive and the foliage has died back, store them in a dry, frost-free place such as a cellar or garage over winter.

In milder regions where frosts are light and infrequent, the tubers can remain in place: simply protect them in winter with a thick mulch of dry leaves or straw.

During the growing season, keep the soil moist by watering regularly but avoid overwatering—constantly waterlogged soil may cause the bulb to rot. We also recommend mulching with an organic mulch to prevent the soil from drying out too quickly. While the plant is actively growing, you can apply a layer of well-rotted compost or manure around the base.

Stop watering once the plant enters dormancy and loses its foliage. Keep it dry while the bulb replenishes itself.

Remove the leaves once they have yellowed.

In pots

Watering will need to be slightly more frequent if grown in a container—keep the soil moist but not waterlogged, never allowing the growing medium to dry out completely. It’s all about balance!

From May to August, apply a seaweed-based fertiliser once a month.

Potted specimens should be brought indoors at the first sign of frost and stored in a garage or unheated room until spring. To respect the plant’s dormancy, avoid watering in winter.

Diseases and potential pests

Amorphophallus bulbs are susceptible to nematodes and scale insects which attack the tubercles, especially indoors. Nematodes are small parasitic worms that leave warts on the bulbs and cause them to dry out. To repel them, you can plant Tagetes nearby. In a greenhouse or indoors, if you notice the presence of scale insects visible by the white wax powder they leave on the roots, repot the plant in fresh, healthy compost.

Propagation

The aerial bulblets of Amorphophallus bulbifer can be harvested and then replanted to produce new young plants. Propagation is also achieved by dividing the tubercles in spring.

By Division

• Dig up the rootstocks with a garden fork if they are in open ground, otherwise take advantage of repotting
• Cut them into several pieces using a disinfected knife or by hand
• Replant them immediately in their final position, in the garden or in pots

Pairing Amorphophallus

This woodland plant will pair beautifully in the garden with other plants that, like itself, thrive in moist to wet soils such as Hostas or ferns (Dicksonia antartica), the Lysichiton americanus with its large butter-yellow spathes, or the Chinese Loosestrife.

In a cool, shaded border, Amorphophallus can also be combined with fatsias, banana trees with their broad foliage, or non-running Fargesia bamboos. Consider also pairing it with lush clumps of Hakonechloa for an exotic feel, and with Gunnera tinctoria for a truly luxuriant display.

It will thrive in a heather soil border alongside an Hydrangea heteromalla , which shares its preference for light shade or dappled shade conditions.

Centre: Amorphophallus titanium, paired with Hydrangea heteromalla, Fatsia japonica, Gunnera tinctoria, Hostas ‘Francee’ and Musa sikkimensis