50 replies to this topic

[Loakesy]

Just out of interest (because I can't answer your question, sorry): you titled your thread Sauromatum Guttatum or to you and me Voodoo Lily but searching the interweb for "Voodoo Lily" brings up various Aroid species including Dracunculus vulgaris, Amorphophallus bulbifer as well as your Sauromatum venosum - all called Voodoo Lily!

Is there a definitive Voodoo Lily or is it a group name for the stinking Aroids?

You see, I have a plant that I obtained bearing the name 'Voodoo Lily' but I don't know which plant it is. I've only ever had foliage from it so far and its leaves are definately similar to yours, and several others.

Edited by Loakesy, 01 November 2007 - 18:22 PM.

[AndrewLuton]

Loakesy, on 1st November 2007 - 18:16 PM, said:

Just out of interest (because I can't answer your question, sorry): you titled your thread Sauromatum Guttatum or to you and me Voodoo Lily but searching the interweb for "Voodoo Lily" brings up various Aroid species including Dracunculus vulgaris, Amorphophallus bulbifer as well as your Sauromatum venosum - all called Voodoo Lily!

Is there a definitive Voodoo Lily or is it a group name for the stinking Aroids?

You see, I have a plant that I obtained bearing the name 'Voodoo Lily' but I don't know which plant it is. I've only ever had foliage from it so far and its leaves are definately similar to yours, and several others.

I may be told wrong but I guess like you said it a general name for the Aroids species. All seem to produce a whiffy smell, mine has yet to flower though. I first saw them last year in Wilkinsons as a bulb (they didn't stock them this year) but bought my one on Ebay after searching for Voodoo Lily.
Am sure there are some people on here with a much greater knowledge then mine who will let us know  

If anyone fancies swapping a bulb or 2 FOC please drop me an email.

[Rob-Rah]

In my "old" books, Sauromatum Guttatum is referred to as "Monarch of the East" only (eg. in the Sanders Encyclopedia of Gardening 1964). I can find the term Voodoo Lily being used in books in the 1980s (I don't have any between these dates) for Sauromatum, but not for anything else. Using it to encompass all large-flowered smelly, dark coloured aroids seems to be a compartively new thing (last 10-20 years or so), and to come from the US. Dracunculus has always been known as "Dragon Arum" as far as I know, and "voodoo lily" applied to this is still not the norm (though is being done more and more).

The derivtaion of "voodoo lily" comes from the practice in the 1970s (at least) of buying the bulb of Sauromatum and placing it dry on a saucer, and letting it flower out of the soil. Sort of "magical" and like a dead thing coming to life. A kind of marketing gimmick. I think this originated in Europe.

This would only really apply to Sauromatum: mature Amorphophallus konjac bulbs are really rather too large and expensive to have as a novelty houseplant in this way, and were certainly never found in garden centres 20-30 years ago - I remember seeing great boxes full of Sauromatum corms though for a couple of pounds each in the 1980s; and I do not think that Dracunculus can be flowered in this way - as it produces roots and leaves before it flowers.

Edited by Rob-Rah, 02 November 2007 - 11:19 AM.

[Loakesy]

I remember we had one of those when I was a nipper. it grew quite nicely in an empty saucer. One day it flowered, and my mum thought that one of the pets had left a package somewhere.

My (current) plant is definately producing roots! At the moment the bulbs are about the side of a small cumquat!!

Edited by Loakesy, 02 November 2007 - 18:00 PM.

[AndrewLuton]

Just found my bulb hidden away in the dark under the stairs.

Should I leave it a bit longer or should I risk planting it back out?

[AndrewLuton]

Sheila, on 19th January 2008 - 21:31 PM, said:

Looks ready for planting up to me.

Thanks will do.
Just read on the forum somewhere that if it's shooting with no roots then it's going to flower which I am very excited about.

My main worry is do I plant it and let it flower or keep in out of soil?........but not in the house as the dog may get blamed for something it didn't do  

Edited by AndrewLuton, 20 January 2008 - 22:18 PM.

[greenBen]

Aroids do have a trick where they put up a nice fat shoot to get you excited in anticipation of an inflorescence... but then produce a leaf! It's just their cruel sense of humour...!

But seriously that does look good. Pot it on a drainage layer when you do pot it. If you want to grow it on a saucer keep it in a cool but bright place. The tubers rarely hold the bud straight up in a saucer so put a layer or sand in the saucer and bed the tuber into that so the inflorescence grows vertically. And don't forget when it's planted to check it in late summer to see the infructescence- very much like a small black grenade or pineapple!

greenBen

[AndrewLuton]

greenBen, on 27th January 2008 - 10:54 AM, said:

Aroids do have a trick where they put up a nice fat shoot to get you excited in anticipation of an inflorescence... but then produce a leaf! It's just their cruel sense of humour...!

But seriously that does look good. Pot it on a drainage layer when you do pot it. If you want to grow it on a saucer keep it in a cool but bright place. The tubers rarely hold the bud straight up in a saucer so put a layer or sand in the saucer and bed the tuber into that so the inflorescence grows vertically. And don't forget when it's planted to check it in late summer to see the infructescence- very much like a small black grenade or pineapple!

greenBen

Hi Ben,

These are the latest pictures which looks like it's on the verge of flowering. Is it not very early in the year though? I would have liked to have planted it outside but with the forecast next week looking rather cold I have left it on out bathroom window sill and don't want to risk it.

It doesn't smell yet but as Shelia mentioned it may not be to bad.
Once the flower has died down should I bury the bulb back in soil?

Sorry for all the questions but I am very new to these plants. They are quite facinating though.






I also have about 8 corns which came from the main bulb. I will grow them this year then pass them on to whoever fancies trying their luck with them.

[AndrewLuton]

Sheila, on 27th January 2008 - 23:08 PM, said:

I think you should pot it up now really, it looks rather strange that far ahead in growth with no soil and pot.

I will do just that this afternoon. I will need to go into a smaller pot while indoors then in the spring will move outside into the garden.
Any thoughts on how deep it should be planted? Am worried that very soon I will get home and find the house has an awful stench

[AndrewLuton]

Still waiting..................

[greenBen]

Hi, most aroid tubers (in fact all of the ones I routinely deal with) root at the top; the root plate surrounds the growing tip. Therefore anything between 2-6" will be fine, but usually you only need to plant deep if the plant is outside over winter or has any chance of drying out.

I think it's fair to say that yours is now, beyond a shadow of a doubt, going to flower!!! In my experience of growing them outside they often linger tantelisingly at this stage for a couple of days, but yours is probably opening right now. Also I think they tend to open up over night...

greenBen

[AndrewLuton]

Well it finally happened

Unfortunatly it was still closed when I left for work early this morning but the smell which which greeted Gill at lunchtime was-(in her words) "a disgusting stench" -and blamed it on the dog at first  

It's now outside but I can still smell it as the window is open here upstairs.
Any thoughs as to how long it will last for and what should I do after the flower dies?

Cheers and enjoy.

[schimatrix]

It's fantastic, Andrew!
giu