Voodoo Lilly

Hi All:
I dig these bulbs every fall. They are from the Himalaya area. The flower's "perfume" leaves something to be desired, since I understand that they are fertilized by flies.


Ed. Spaans

This is an Amorphophallus. I have Amorphophallus bulbifera, it produces small bubs at each leaf axis. When mine blooms it usually only stinks for a few hours. There is a very large variety that some botanic gardens have that stinks for days.

Yep, that's A. konjac. Smells terrible. I had a bunch and dug them up and sold them on ebay. They kinda take over down here. I had a friend where I lived in Japan whose family grew fiends of them. They'd wash and boil the tubers, then grind them into a mash, add some other nasty things and let it gel into blocks. Then it was slice and eaten as "sashimi". Like chewing on a piece of gristle. It is called "konyaku", I still have bad dreams about it.

R

I have a vodoo lilly aswell, first time though, can it survive winter outside, we have temp. down to -16c in winter?

Peter

landerloos wrote:I have a vodoo lilly aswell, first time though, can it survive winter outside, we have temp. down to -16c in winter?

Peter

I don't think so. The plant goes dormant and the bulb can be lifted and taken inside. I grow mine in pots even in Florida for this reason.

Billy M. Rhodes wrote:

landerloos wrote:I have a vodoo lilly aswell, first time though, can it survive winter outside, we have temp. down to -16c in winter?

Peter

I don't think so. The plant goes dormant and the bulb can be lifted and taken inside. I grow mine in pots even in Florida for this reason.

Ok thx Billy, was asking because i did read somewhere that they a growing like weeds. Tibet is quiet cold aswell I geuss.

Peter

Whatever way "conjac" is spelled, it couldn't be bad one would hope. These will stink for days however. In regard to overwintering: I have some growing at the north side within two feet of the house. Those I have not dug up for a decade or more. It gets down to 0F, -20C every once in a while. Generally they are under a blanket of snow, which may insulate them pretty well. They make nice umbrellas in the summer. Propagation is through offsets growing on "handles" attached to the main bulb.

Ed.

landerloos wrote:

Billy M. Rhodes wrote:

landerloos wrote:I have a vodoo lilly aswell, first time though, can it survive winter outside, we have temp. down to -16c in winter?

Peter

I don't think so. The plant goes dormant and the bulb can be lifted and taken inside. I grow mine in pots even in Florida for this reason.

Ok thx Billy, was asking because i did read somewhere that they a growing like weeds. Tibet is quiet cold aswell I geuss.

Peter

Peter, it really depends on the species. Most Amorphophallus are very tropical and cold sensitive. A. konjac is neither. A. bulbifer, as Billy shows, is easy and pretty hardy too.

Billy, that's probably a bit over cautious, but they are very susceptible to staying too wet and rotting when they're dormant. To make it worse, some can be stored dry for the winter, and others can't.

R

I'm new in here, Hope to enjoy this forum.