Voodoo lily plants are grown for gigantic flowers and for the unusual foliage. The flowers produce a strong, offensive odor similar to that or rotting meat. The smell attracts the flies that pollinate the flowers. Not difficult to grow.
Voodoo lily, also called Devil’s tongue, is a member of the genus Amorphophallus. The voodoo lily A. titanum is the largest flower in the world. A. konjac has smaller flowers, but it is still quite large compared to other garden flowers. Each bulb produces one stalk, about 6 feet tall, topped by one gigantic leaf. After the leaf stalk withers, the voodoo lily bulb produces a flower stalk. The flower is actually a spathe and spadex arrangement similar to a calla lily. The spadex can be 10 to over 50 inches long. The blossom only lasts a day or two.
Water them in the summer, but not during the winter (when they are dormant). Consistent overwatering can cause the bulb to rot, so never allow the soil to stay soggy.
Put the plant in an area that gets indirect filtered light from a nearby window, but keep it out of direct sunlight.
If you want to plant the bulbs in a container, then use a well draining potting mix. A general purpose potting soil will work just fine for growing voodoo lily bulbs. Mix some perlite and/or coarse sand into the potting soil to give it better drainage.
Stop feeding your voodoo lily in late summer to prepare it for dormancy, and do not fertilize it during dormancy. Once the plant starts growing in the spring, start by giving it a weak dose of liquid fertilizer. Then feed it normally through the summer.
