Devil's Tongue Araceae Amorphophallus kiusianus

The 'Voodoo Lily' is one of the hardiest perennials of the Amorphophallus species. It is native to China, Japan, and Taiwan, found growing in semi-shaded to sun exposed plantations, secondary forests, mixed bamboo and broad-leaved forest, and orchards. Amorphophallus comes from the Greek word amorphos and phallos, meaning “malformed penis” referring to the shape of the prominent spadix.

Growing 'Voodoo Lily' is fairly easy. Plant the tuber in moist, organic, well-drained soil, approximately 4” deep in late winter or very early spring. Its tuber must be well below the soil surface, to support the long leaf and flower. It requires minimal fertilizer, once a month or less, and will tolerate occasional overwatering, and occasional neglect. The health of the plant is determined by the increase in the size of the tuber. If planted in a container, the container needs to be at least twice the diameter of the tuber, and very deep to support the tuber and root growth. If the container is not deep enough, the tuber will become deformed and lie in the excess water, causing rot. The tuber may be lifted during dormancy and stored dry.

Being self-fertile, the 'Voodoo Lily' produces offsets on the tuber that may be replanted. Seeds may be stored in semi-moist peat moss and kept at approximately 45 degrees F. Before sowing, rinse the outer flesh away with water. Keep the temperature in the mid-70’s and soil moist. Be patient, as seedlings may take 6 months or more to germinate.

The 'Voodoo Lily' emerges in spring with a single dirty olive-green and whitish speckled flower stalk, producing a green and white speckled vase-shaped, or calla-like flower, called a spathe, that surrounds a purple tipped spear-shaped spadix. Inside the spathe, are warts that function as insect traps for pollination. After resting for a year, a single 4’ tall green and white speckled stem with a 3-foot wide shredded umbrella-shaped leaf with multiple leaflets emerges. The leaf may die back when the temperature rises to the high 70 degrees F. After the plant matures, its resting period may decrease to as little as a month, before producing the leaf.

Though they have both male and female flowers, 'Voodoo Lilies' can not self-pollinate. It is only able to pollinate on a single day, announced by a scent sometimes described as “decaying flesh” or “roadkill” that attracts its pollinators. Once trapped inside, the insects pollinate the female flowers, and the next day are covered with pollen from the male flowers and released to go on their way to pollinate others. The pollinated flowers then develop densely clustered colorful fruit that ripens from bright pink to blue.

The species Amorphophallus titanum, is the world's largest unbranched inflorescence, with a height of up to 8'2" and a width of 4'9".  In September 2015 a 4' tall flower opened at Chicago Botanical Gardens.  Thousands of visitors lined up to see and smell it, and its bloom was broadcast via live webcam.

Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems:  Nematodes and root mealy bugs can affect the plant.  It is not appropriate for a houseplant.