If you want to grow an exotic-looking plant in your garden, try Amorphophallus rivieri, also known by another scientific name, Amorphophallus konja, and commonly called devil's tongue and voodoo lily. When this fleshy, frost-tender perennial blooms, it creates a visually striking and smelly statement in the garden. A single, deep-purple petal, called a spathe, surrounds the 3-foot tall flower stalk that is on the plant's 4- to 6-foot tall stalk. The flower's aroma is like the odor of rotting meat. The scent attracts flies that pollinate the flower. Voodoo lily is hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 6 through 10. Its leaf and flower stalk are frost-tender and die back from the first freeze, but its tuber and roots survive under soil within the plant's hardiness zone range.
Devil's Tongue Care
Amorphophallus Rivieri Var. Konjac
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Humidity
Normal
Lighting
Part Sun
Temperature
20°C - 25°C
Hardiness zone
10a - 12
Difficulty
Medium
Hibernation
Cold Period
Toxicity
Poisonous
How to Care for the Plant
Water
Water the planting site thoroughly. Allow the soil to dry between watering sessions, and then water the site deeply, soaking the soil.
Pruning
Cut the voodoo lily's flower stalk at the soil line after the plant's blooming period ends. If you want to prevent the flower's odor from permeating the garden, then cut the flower stalk as soon as it emerges, before it produces a flower.
Fertilizer
Fertilize the voodoo lily once each month through the growing season with a 15-30-15 fertilizer. Use the instructions on the fertilizer package to determine how much fertilizer to use and the proper application method. Discontinue fertilizing the plant in fall. Doing so allows the plant to go into a dormancy period.
Sunlight
Select a planting site that receives partial shade.
Soil
Suitable for: light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils. Suitable pH: acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils.
Additional
We have one report that this plant is very toxic raw, though no more details are given[178]. It belongs to a family where most of the members contain calcium oxalate crystals. This substance is toxic fresh and, if eaten, makes the mouth, tongue and throat feel as if hundreds of small needles are digging in to them. However, calcium oxalate is easily broken down either by thoroughly cooking the plant or by fully drying it and, in either of these states, it is safe to eat the plant. People with a tendency to rheumatism, arthritis, gout, kidney stones and hyperacidity should take especial caution if including this plant in their diet
Popularity
7 people already have this plant 5 people have added this plant to their wishlists
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