I was afraid that there might be NO devils in my garden this year. They were slow to show.
Finally the big devil sent up its creepy stalk and a bunch of leaves.
Then I spotted a spotted sprout.
The third little devil has not emerged yet.
I do love this weirdo plant, Amorphophallus konjac
FLOW and a weirdo
Gardening is such an emotional past-time. It is like leaving your children outside to fend for themselves. I have had several scares with my new Voodoo lilies. The latest involved the baby.
I now have three Amorphophalus konjac plants, thanks to the Popes. The big one came first, then a medium and a small. The small baby dried up soon after arrival. I was worried that my plans for a Devil’s Tongue Triangle had been foiled. The baby finally sent up a new shoot.
I am happy to report that its leaf has emerged.
Now the three are visible and the triangle is complete. It reminds me of the story about the three bears which makes me Goldie Locks.
I am pleased to say that the “Voodoo Trio” is thriving under the fig tree from my godmother. Sounds like a fairy tale doesn’t it?
Goldie Locks/Flow
I hate to admit that it has taken me this long to select a suitable site and plant the three Devil’s Tongue plants that were gifted to me by my friends, the Popes.
I have moved them around in their pots to try out various locations. They seemed the most at home under the fig and beside a clump of Japanese Sacred Lilies.
I hope they will thrive in their new home.
Are wondering what configuration they are planted in? I bet you could guess. A triangle of course!
FLOW
I want to begin by saying that I believe in the evils of man. I pity the plants that are given such names. These will be loved by me despite their assigned, evil names. As luck would have it, my next blog post will be about ‘Lucifer’ Montbretia. They are heavenly right now.
My friends, the Popes, delivered their last two Devil’s Tongue plants yesterday. They have purged them from their gardens. I am happy to be their new mama. I have a lovely spot for them picked out.
I put all three pots together for a photo.
The little sprout poking out in the pot to the right is the now infamous Amorphophallus konjac from earlier posts. It is to my great relief that the accidental castration did not kill it. https://floweralley.org/?s=Amorphophallus
The mishap was fortuitous because I never would have uncovered the ‘brain’ bulb had I not be concerned over its survival. https://floweralley.org/?s=Devil%27s+Tongue
I love the umbrella plume of foliage.
The stem has unusual markings.
I will update you on the three Devils when they are settled in to their new home.
FLOW
This is my first time caring for a Devil’s Tongue plant.
https://wordpress.com/post/floweralley.org/20282
I have tried to be very careful with it.
As I was moving the Amorphophallus konjac pot the other week, the phallus fell off.
I was horrified! There I was with pot in one hand and the phallus in the other.
Mr. Flower contacted the gift-givers who assured us that the phallus falling off was normal and that a leafstalk would emerge in due time.
I continued to water the pot as I waited for signs of life.
When nothing happened after weeks of waiting, I became concerned that the whole thing might have rotted.
I took matters into my own hands and decided to check on the bulb.
I was not prepared for what plopped out of the pot.
It looked like a giant brain with two hemispheres and a corpus callosum down the middle.
Then I decided the brain needed further inspection for rot and shoots, so I gave the brain a bath.
I am pleased to report there are signs of life atop the brain of the Devil’s Tongue. I guess we could call this the brainstem.
I would hate to have killed such an unusual treasure from my dear friends, the Popes.
It may stink, but it has provided a lot of entertainment.
FLOWER
My garden has exploded with color.
The peonies have popped. The iris have erupted. The phlox are flowering.
But only one plant has my full attention.
Some friends dropped it off in a big pot at my gate. They seemed anxious to be rid of it.
This plant has many names. I will share only the clean ones…Voodoo Lily or Devil’s Tongue.
Its Latin name is Amorphophallus konjac. I will save you the trouble of looking up the translation.
Malformed penis
This is what scientist do to poor, innocent plants. My husband has joined in on the bullying by calling it the ‘Tallywhacker.’
I usually try to avoid everything phallic, but I am fascinated by ‘Mr. Voodoo.’
I will post when the spathe opens to expose the spadix.
Too bad it is not possible to post a scratch and sniff picture on the internet. It is supposed to smell of carrion to attract flies.
This giant has been a welcome diversion from the usual, puny, needy little flowers.
Stay tuned.
FLOW
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