Voodoo lilies are exotic tropic plants , and they ’re really fun to grow ! It ’s not difficult , but their tending is a number different than you may be used to .
In this all over care guide , you will con everything you need to jazz about how to grow voodoo lilies .
I ’ll give you elaborated instructions about lacrimation , fertilizing , potting territory , wintertime quiescence , flowering , sunlight , and much more !
Start of voodoo lily corpse plant flower spike
Table of content
What Is A Voodoo Plant?
A voodoo lily is a case of clay flower ( aka carrion plant life ) . So , as you may in all likelihood guess , that means that when they flower , it smell out like decompose human body .
Some corpse efflorescence can develop to be huge 6′ improbable monster . Those are the ones you get word about on the news when they start blooming at your local hothouse .
It ’s not very hardheaded for home gardener to grow the jumbo form ( some have 100 pound bulbs ! ) – those are well left for the pros with conservatories .
But there are several minor specimen that are fun and well-heeled for anyone to mature .
The one that I have is in the Araceae fellowship ( I ’m jolly trusted it ’s a Sauromatum venosum , but it did n’t total with a tag ) .
Mine is a nanus salmagundi , so the heyday spikes are only about 1 - 2′ magniloquent , and the foliage gets to be about 3 - 4′ tall .
Oh , and the understanding for the putrid odor ? Well , that ’s to draw fly sheet and other insects that enjoy a repast of rotting pulp . These insects will pollenate the flowers rather of bees .
Hardiness Of Voodoo Lily Bulbs
Some voodoo lily mixture ( there are over 100 different types ! ) are actually perennials down to zona 6 .
But others are n’t as hardy , so it ’s important to know which eccentric you have before planting them in your garden .
They can be grown in pots or in the earth . Mine is one of the stalwart miscellany , and I ’ve had bulbs survive the winter in my zone 4b gardens off and on for several years now .
Unfortunately , they do n’t bloom in the garden in cold clime like mine though . That ’s why I keep mine in a pot . It bloom during the wintertime or very early spring before our ground outdoors has unthaw .
But the alien looking at foliage adds a unique tropic jot to the garden , and is reason enough to originate them , if you ask me .
What’s With The Weird Name?
I once take somewhere that the intellect this plant is predict “ vodoun lily ” is because of the magic of the flower .
They bloom out of a inactive electric-light bulb , even if it ’s not in any soil . That ’s why it ’s magic ! I do n’t know if that tale of where the name come from is true or not , but it ’s a fun one .
My Voodoo Lily Story
When I stimulate my hoodooism lily bulb from a protagonist several years ago , she gave me a warning . She said one daylight , you ’ll walk into your basement and inquire what died down there . That mean it is in bloom .
Oooo , it sounded so mysterious … I had no estimation what to look . To be good , I was a small queasy about the putrid smell , but I could n’t wait to see the fantastic heyday !
The first duo of years , nothing grew but leafage . Then finally one wintertime , my vodoun lily started to bloom for the first time .
I was joyful ! I checked on it every day , watching the spike grow grandiloquent , skinnier , and more challenging .
at long last , it opened and … well , she was NOT jolly about the feel . The stench only last a few twenty-four hours , and it was n’t too overpowering .
But the smell was hard enough to make me think doubly ( and fret a small ) every metre I walk into the cellar . Haha ! altogether deserving it for this Ah - mazing peak though !
This is by far the most unparalleled works I have in my collection . The blossom are both gorgeous and putrid , and I love it ! The good part is that voodoo lily are super easy to care for .
Voodoo Lily Care Instructions
There are over a hundred unlike miscellanea of fetich lilies , but they all require the same basic guardianship . And , for exotic industrial plant , they are actually really easy to acquire .
Here ’s all the entropy you want to know for successful voodoo lily care …
Flowering
Voodoo lily bloom in the winter or very former springtime , depending on the climate , weather experimental condition , and the species .
When mature indoors , they make really fun ( though shitty ) winter blooming plants ( hence the story of why it smell like something died in my basement ! ) .
The bulb need to be matured before they will blossom though . And the pocket-size they are , the longer you ’ll have to wait for it to bloom .
It can take several years for them to get on , so if you require flowers the right way away , be sure to bribe great bulbs .
The sizing of a mature electric-light bulb will vary by variety ( the mammoth unity are a few feet blanket , yikes ! ) . The mature ones that I have are about the size of an onion .
Watering
Watering is a very important part of right voodoo lily guardianship , so be certain to pay up care here . In their aboriginal surround , the summer are sozzled , and the winters are dry .
So , you need to water them in the summer , but not during the winter ( when they are dormant ) . Consistent overwatering can cause the electric-light bulb to rot , so never let the soil to stay soggy .
During the summer , I care to allow the soil to dry out a routine between waterings , then give it a adept soak .
If you ’re growing hoodoo lilies in a container outdoors , be certain there are drain holes in the bottom of the pot .
To check the wet point , stick your finger down one inch into the stain . If it ’s wet , then wait to water .
If you struggle with getting it correct , I commend buy an inexpensivesoil moisture meterto help you out .
Stop watering in the late summer / early free fall to prepare it for dormancy . Do not water it at all during the winter while it ’s sleeping .
When it starts growing again in the spring , give it a good drink of water . Then continue to water it normally thorough the summertime .
Sun Exposure
The idealistic loose exposure for voodoo lily is partial sun to full shade . Mine maturate happily in a part Sunday location .
They may be capable to tolerate full sun if you protect them from the intense afternoon rays . But be thrifty giving them too much , or the foliage may get burn .
If you project on get them as houseplants , put it in an area that gets indirect filtrate lighting from a nearby window , but keep it out of direct sun .
Soil Requirements
fetich lily plants will grow their better in a rich , constitutional soil that has estimable drain . If you have clay soil , you could remedy it withcompostto give it more food , and good drain .
If you want to keep them in a container , then use a well draining mix . Ageneral use potting soilwill employment just fine for grow voodoo lily bulbs .
If you ’re concerned about overwatering , then you could mix someperliteand / orcoarse sandinto the potting soil to improve drainage .
Fertilizer
Voodoo lilies do n’t postulate fertilizer to blossom , but they will benefit from being fed . They respond best to constitutive fertilizers rather than synthetic chemical single .
Compost tea is a enceinte choice . you could purchase it in aliquid dressed ore , or gettea bagsto brew your own . Your works will also lovefish emulsion .
lay off prey it in previous summertime to prepare it for quiescence , and do not fertilize at all during the winter .
Start by afford it a debile dose of liquified fertilizer in the spring when you see unexampled ontogeny . Then feast it normally through the summertime months .
Pest Control
Perhaps the effective part about raise voodoo lily is that they are not prostrate to pest problems . As far as I have it away , there are n’t any type of bugs or creature that will eat them . Yes !
Pruning
You wo n’t have to worry about pruning your voodoo lily either , the leafage never demand it . But if they ’re growing too large for the space , you could trim them back .
Just do n’t cut off all of the foliage until it has died back in the fall . Once the bloom wither you’re able to remove it , if trust .
Voodoo Lily Plant Propagation Methods
The promiscuous elbow room to distribute voodoo lilies is by division . Every summer mine multiples , and I get mass of lilliputian bulbs .
The little ones will grow leaves , and they get big every year . It takes several year for them to get large enough to bloom though .
Collecting & Growing The Seeds
Yes , voodoo lilies can be grow from seed ! When successfully cross-pollinate , reddish berries ( which contain the seeds ) will form . you could collect them once the berries become lenient , and get to harden .
As with most tropic flora , the seeds do not store very well . So it ’s secure to seed them as soon as possible .
sow in them in a lightweightseed starting soil , and keep them evenly moist until the seedlings start to uprise .
It hold a very , very long prison term to turn them from seed , and you ’ll have to expect several years for them to bloom . So only strain it for fun , and if you ’re an extremely patient someone .
Mine has never bring on seeded player because it always blooms during the wintertime inside my star sign , and there are n’t any fly front to cross-pollinate it .
Voodoo Lily Bulbs Winter Care & Dormancy
One important thing to call up about voodoo lily tutelage is that the bulb require a period of dormancy every twelvemonth .
They will naturally go dormant in the fall , so do n’t panic when it jump to break down back . It ’s expert to countenance it to go dormant . Do n’t essay to keep it grow , or you ’ll just end up killing it .
If yours is in a container like mine is , it can easily be overwintered in the cellar or a heated garage .
Once frost toss off the foliage in the gloaming , I bring the pot within , stash it in a corner of the basement , and forget about it ( until I smell them blossom ) .
If you plan to winter yours this means , do not water it at all during dormancy .
If your voodoo lily is raise in a garden where they are n’t hardy , you could bring up the bulbs in the descent to stash away them indoors for wintertime . Keep them in a dry , above freeze locating .
They will probably start blooming while in storage . So be sure to put them in a place where you may relish the gorgeous flowers .
Just remember not to panic when you first take the air into the way , and question what died in there ! Haha !
The flower grow before the foliage does . It can take a few calendar week ( or longer ) for the leaves to start spring up once it ’s done bloom .
So do n’t worry if it looks dead after the flower fades , that ’s totally normal .
Voodoo Plants FAQs
What does a voodoo lily smell like?
Are you trusted you ’re quick for this ( try out not to jape ) … the voodoo lily flower smells like rotting flesh .
Why does a voodoo lily flower smell so bad?
A hoodooism lily smells bad because flies are the natural pollinator of carrion flower . So the smell is meant to attracts flies rather than bee .
How long does a voodoo lily bloom?
It can take a few weeks for a hoodooism lily to bloom after the spike begin to organise . But the prime only stays overt ( and crappy ) for a couple of days , so keep a close center on it . You do n’t desire to miss the show !
How often do voodoo lilies bloom?
How often vodoun lily bloom count on the variety you have . Mine flowers every year . But some types can take several years or even decades before they flower again . That ’s why the big ones often make newspaper headline news !
Does a voodoo lily die after it blooms?
No , a voodoo lily does not die after it bloom . The flower will die , and eventually cast off from the plant . But endearing foliage will soon fall out , which is also salient .
Are voodoo lilies poisonous?
Yes , voodooism lily are poisonous ! So keep the bulb , foliage , and flowers out of reach of child and pets at all time .
Is a voodoo lily carnivorous?
No , voodoo lilies are not carnivorous . The flowers smell like end , so they do appeal lot of tent-fly . But they do not obliterate or consume any microbe .
Where To Find Voodoo Lily For Sale
If you live in a warm enough clime , you may be able to find voodoo lily plants for sale at your local garden substance in the spring .
And if you ’re really favorable , they may even carry the bulbs . They are moderately rare though , so do n’t be surprise if you ca n’t find them at any stores .
They are n’t cheap , but you may find themfor sales agreement online . you’re able to alsobuy the seedsif you require to try your luck with those .
Voodoo lily fear is n’t hard , and it ’s fun to raise this exotic beauty . Yes , they are ill-smelling . But do n’t concern , the unique , magic voodoo lily prime is well deserving the stench . Now , if you ’ll excuse me … I need to go see what died in my basement .
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