Part Three - Amorphophallus
The common names include voodoo lily, devil's tongue and corpse flower, which gives you an inkling that these are not your basic petunias. Most writers emphasize the singular flowers (correctly termed inflorescence), which are definitely not grown for their scent, said to range from sewage gas to decaying meat. The scent lasts only a day or three, so if you don't plant them under a window or next to the patio, it should not be a terrific issue. If it is, you can remove the inflorescence and enjoy the foliage and stems.
There are about one hundred seventy species of Amorphophallus. Many of them are so new to cultivation in the western world that little is known about them but their names and origins - and sometimes the names are a bit tentative. They all come from tropical areas of the old world - ranging from Africa, Madagascar, India, Thailand, Vietnam, China, Malaysia, New Guinea, Australia, Borneo and the Philippines.
Most of the species appear to be pioneers in areas of disturbed vegetation. They are generally found at the margins of open forests or on steep slopes and sometimes in very exposed situations, at both sea level and, at the northernmost limits of the genus, up to nine thousand feet (3,000 m). Few species come from dense forests.
There is a division in the genus between species found in wet climates, like Sumatra and Borneo, and those found in locations with seasonal climates, such as most of Africa, India and Indochina. This affects gardeners in how they need to be stored during their dormant periods and where they will do well in the ground or in pots outdoors.
The great majority are not hardy in the ground north of USDA zones 9 or 10, although some are proving hardy in Raleigh, North Carolina and other parts of USDA zone 7 without a great deal of protection. They can all be grown in pots as house or conservatory plants if you can provide sufficient ambient humidity for them. For a list of hardy species and where they have been successfully grown outside, see the end of this article.
Origin of Obsession
Sometimes, obsessions have singularly unprepossessing origins. Four or five years ago, during the last round of a plant exchange, one lone plant with unusual foliage and a leopard spotted stem caught my eye. I'd never seen anything like it before; had no idea what it was, but knew I had to have it.
