Tacca: Planting, Growing and Care Discover our expert advice on how to plant, grow and care for your Tacca (Bat Flower or Devil Flower), an exotic and mysterious tropical plant prized for its unique dark blooms and whisker-like bracts. ### Planting Tacca - **When to plant**: Best planted in spring when temperatures remain consistently warm. - **Where to plant**: Thrives in warm, humid environments – ideal for greenhouses or as a houseplant in the UK. - **Soil requirements**: Requires rich, well-draining soil with plenty of organic matter. ### Growing Conditions - **Light**: Prefers bright, indirect light – avoid direct sun which can scorch leaves. - **Temperature & Humidity**: Keep above 15°C with high humidity (mist regularly or use a pebble tray). - **Watering**: Keep soil consistently moist but not waterlogged. Reduce watering in winter. ### Ongoing Care - **Feeding**: Apply a balanced liquid fertiliser monthly during the growing season. - **Pruning**: Remove spent flowers and yellowing leaves to encourage new growth. - **Repotting**: Repot every 2-3 years in fresh compost to maintain vigour. **Tip**: Tacca can be fussy – mimic its native tropical habitat for best results. Patience is key as young plants may take time to establish before flowering. *Note*: The striking black or purple flowers make Tacca a conversation piece, though it requires attentive care to thrive outside its natural habitat.

Description and botany

Tacca, better known as Bat Plant or Devil’s Flower, is a rhizomatous perennial belonging to the Taccaceae family, consisting of the single genus Tacca. Native to rainforests and valleys of Southeast Asia and Northeast India, it can be found at altitudes ranging from 200m to 1,300m. The genus includes ten species, the most well-known and widely cultivated being Tacca chantrieri, and Tacca integrifolia or White Bat Flower.

This plant develops rather slowly from a thick rootstock that produces a dense clump of basal leaves about 50 cm tall. The oblong, lanceolate leaves measuring between 20 and 50 cm are borne on long petioles of 10 to 30 cm, sometimes tinged with purple. The evergreen, luxuriant foliage with prominent veins unfolds in a glossy green on top, lighter underneath.

Tacca has beautiful, luxuriant glossy green foliage

In summer, from June to August in our latitudes, then sporadically until December, the flower stem emerges from this leafy clump to reach between 75 cm and 1.20 m in height depending on the variety. Only Taccas aged at least 2 or 3 years will flower. The stems are sturdy and very stiff, smooth and leafless. These strange flowers owe their common name to the appearance of their inflorescence, whose dark purple bracts, veined with green or even almost white, spread out like the wings of a bat in flight. The Tacca chantrieri is characterised by remarkable umbels of deep purple, almost black, while the Tacca nivea displays white or cream bracts or those tinged with green and veined with light brown, turning brown in the Tacca chantrieri ‘Green Isle’.

The intriguing, pendulous flowers are composed of 5 petals and nestle at the heart of four large floral bracts measuring up to 20 cm wide. They are grouped in clusters of up to 25 flowers. Each flower pedicel produces very long filaments that can reach up to 30 cm, adding to the dramatic appearance of the flower, reminiscent of the tail of a shooting star.

After flowering, the flowers turn into fruits in the form of capsules containing flattened seeds that can be sown to propagate the plant.

The flowering of Tacca chantrieri and Tacca integrifolia

Main species and varieties

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Planting the Tacca

Where to Position the Tacca?

The Tacca is a delicate bulbous plant to cultivate. It makes a perfect indoor plant, provided it’s given suitable growing conditions, similar to certain orchids. Originating from tropical regions, it thrives in environments close to its natural habitat, meaning a tropical setting, warm and humid with partial shade. In the wild, it’s found in slightly damp and semi-shaded locations. From its origins, it has retained an extreme sensitivity to cold and a need for moisture. This is a frost-tender plant that must be grown in a warm and humid greenhouse or well-lit interiors, but without direct sunlight. It dislikes cold and may die below 12°C, as well as high temperatures that dry out the atmosphere. You can place it on the terrace or in the garden from June to August, in a slightly sunny spot sheltered from drafts. Ideally, it should be positioned near a pond to benefit from the ambient humidity. This extravagant indoor, conservatory, or greenhouse plant will need to spend most of the year in warmth.

When to Plant the Tacca?

The Tacca is ideally planted at the end of winter, in February-March, to allow the rootstock enough time to establish itself and typically flower by early summer.

How to Plant a Tacca Bulb?

Prepare a very well-draining, slightly acidic substrate, such as heather soil.

• Use a large pot with drainage holes
• Spread a layer of clay pebbles at the bottom of the pot for perfect drainage
• Fill the pot with a mixture composed of one-third leaf compost, one-third crushed pine bark, and one-third coconut fibre
• Plant the rootstock with the growth point facing upwards. Cover it with soil, leaving the top part of the rootstock slightly exposed
• Place a saucer filled with water beneath the pot
• Water generously
• Position the pot in a bright spot, but without direct sunlight, and keep the substrate evenly moist

Care and maintenance

The Tacca is a tropical plant with a sometimes capricious and demanding character that requires specific growing conditions to thrive.

The Tacca requires high humidity. Regular watering, twice a week or more during flowering, with non-calcareous rainwater to keep the soil consistently moist but not waterlogged, is essential. The substrate should never dry out more than 3 cm on the surface. The Tacca is sensitive to stagnant water, so good drainage is crucial. During active growth periods, increase the watering frequency. It is helpful to mist the leaves with non-calcareous water (but not the flowers) or place it on a bed of damp clay pebbles to help it cope with dry air. In winter, slightly reduce water intake.

The optimal temperature for its growth is between 18°C and 25°C. Avoid cold draughts and temperature fluctuations. In summer, it should be kept at a temperature of 25°C to 30°C, and in winter, in a cooler spot between 15°C and 18°C to respect its dormancy period, which lasts about 2 months. However, it can be moved outdoors as soon as temperatures rise above 15°C. Proceed gradually, as a plant overwintered indoors must be slowly acclimatised to outdoor conditions. Place it in a spot where it will be shaded during the hottest hours and ensure it remains sufficiently hydrated.

A diluted fertiliser for heather soil plants applied with the watering is beneficial in summer, every two weeks to support flowering. Do not fertilise in winter.

Annual repotting in spring is recommended, using a slightly larger pot and a fresh mix of compost and perlite.

Possible Diseases and Pests of Tacca

Although the Tacca is relatively resistant to diseases, it can be affected by certain problems if growing conditions are not ideal.

• Root rot: Caused by excess moisture, it can be prevented with good drainage and by avoiding waterlogging the plant.
• Aphids and spider mites: These parasitic pests may attack the Tacca, especially in hot and dry conditions. Spray rainwater regularly on the foliage to maintain sufficiently humid conditions.

Propagation of Tacca

Tacca can be propagated in two ways:

By dividing the rootstocks

• In spring, if the rootstocks have multiplied, they can be carefully divided and immediately repotted to give them time to grow properly
• Ensure each section has at least one bud

By sowing

Germinating Tacca seeds is a long and delicate process. Sow the seeds in a moist compost mix and keep them warm at a constant temperature of 25°C. Patience is essential, as germination may take several months.

Pairing the Tacca

The Tacca, with its theatrical appearance, is difficult to pair with other plants. However, ferns, bromeliads or flowering orchids grown indoors can complement its dramatic look and create a tropical corner or a surprising indoor plant composition. The Tacca will also look stunning when paired with the highly exotic foliage of arborescent ferns such as Cyathea medullaris or Dicksonia antarctica. Also consider the spectacular flowering of a strelitzia.

In a greenhouse or conservatory, you can pair the Tacca with lush foliage and exuberant flowering. Here, Cyathea medullaris, Strelitzia reginae, Passiflora vitifolia and Tacca chantrieri (photo: Geoff McKay)