A Little Voodoo Plant Magic

Last year I told the tale of a peculiar new plant in my post Under the Spell of the Voodoo Plant. If you are unfamiliar with Amorphophallus konjac, you may want to read that post first. This post is to provide an update on what has been happening with the plant since then.

The voodoo lily settled into the new talavera pot I provided and grew well through last summer. Eventually, as fall progressed toward winter, the leaves turned yellow and died, just as I expected. I had to decide whether to leave the bulbs buried in the dirt or whether to dig them up. I didn't want to leave the talavera pot out through the frosts, and I probably could have left the bulbs in the pot when I brought it inside. 

But I decided to dig the bulbs because I wanted to see what they looked like. I was shocked. I had seen photos of mature bulbs, giant globes nearly a foot across. I knew my plant was young, but I had no idea how tiny the bulbs would be. One was little larger than an almond, the other one even smaller.

I brushed loose dirt off the bulbs and placed them in a small paper sack, labeled  so I wouldn't forget them. I put the sack on a shelf in my pantry and left them there through the winter. As spring approached I occasionally took a peek at them. They looked dead. I had read that voodoo bulbs don't need soil or even water to flower and will begin growth in spring, even if stored inside. Since my bulbs are so small, I don't expect them to flower for several years yet, but I was looking for some signs of life before planting them again.

Finally, in April I found a small bump on the largest one. Life! Soon the smaller one had signs of growth, too. I replanted them in the talavera pot and put them in a shady spot in the front garden. 

Nothing happened. By late May I was worried my voodoo lily was dead, after all. Then I remembered that this plant flowers first, then, after the efflorescence dies, sends up a stalk with leaves on top. Because mine wasn't flowering yet, I guessed it was just waiting for the appropriate time to start growing. 

At last in June I saw shoots poking through the earth. I kept them watered well and applied a tomato fertilizer every other week. Here are the results:Each stalk is topped with one large, divided leaf. They remind me of tomato plants.Here's another view. Note the snakeskin pattern to the stalks.

Wait! Take a closer look at that last photo. There is now a third shoot! I read that each bulb produces only one stalk. Could it be one of my tiny bulbs is producing two stalks, or that somehow I now have three bulbs?  I think my plant has performed a little voodoo magic!

And even more importantly, to me and my neighbors and possibly the police, does this mean I will have THREE flowers when they bloom? How lucky could I be? 

You may also enjoy A Southern Garden Party, which is where it all began.

A Talavera Lizard and Voodoo Pot

My voodoo plant finally has a new home. I found a Talavera pot with an exotic look appropriate for this unusual plant, and I have placed it in the front garden near the blue bench. 

Talavera is a classic form of Mexican pottery. Artists hand paint native floral and animal motifs onto a white glazed background. The colorful ceramics are still produced using techniques introduced to Mexico by Spanish guild artisans in the sixteenth century. In Spain the same type of pottery is called 'Majolica'.

I also have a Talavera lizard. It has lived for several years in a moss encrusted concrete planter. Talavera is a good way to add a dash of color to a garden. I wouldn't use a lot of it, but a piece here and there is just right.

The voodoo plant is looking a little stressed. An unknown critter recently uprooted the tuber from its plastic pot and left it lying on the ground. It was saved by a rainstorm which kept it moist until I found it later that day, wilted but alive. I hope the new pot will offer better protection!