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Voodoo Lily

Sauromatum venosum

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44.2193, -123.206

Field Notes

Description:

The Sauromatum Venosum, Commonly known as the Voodoo Lily is a common shade loving house or garden plant. It usually grows to around 20 inches and is a tuber. The Voodoo Lily also spawns multiple new bulbs around its original bulb. The plant is also known as the Voodoo Bulb because of its abilities to flower by just placing the bulb on a window sill. The Flower gives off a very bad smell, almost like rotting flesh, during the first few days of flowering, this is to attract flies and other carrion feeding insects that it relies on to pollinate it.

Habitat:

Urban, flower and vegetable garden beds

Notes:

I found these growing in my flower bed a few years ago, thinking they were weeds I had been pulling them up. I finally let one grow last year to see what it would do. Now they are growing in the opposite side of the yard also in the garden. Anxious to let them grow now to see if they will flower in the next year!

Species ID Suggestions

Comments (3)

Thanks, BrandonBlount! I had been unsuccessful in finding the right one, and started to doubt it was in fact a voodoo lily! Great to finally know for sure!
Michelle, I looked up a few different species of Sauromatum, the venosum appears to be the closest match. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sauromatum_venosum http://www.michiganbulb.com/product/Voodoo_Lily/Perennials http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/2055/#b
OK... I have had this labeled as a Voodoo Lilly for the last several months. But I need some input, as I can find NO voodoo lilly on the internet that looks like this! The blooms are up now, took pics just a while ago. The "bloom" is around a foot tall or a bit more and apparently come up before the green foliage does. Any help definitely identifying this strange little plant would be appreciated!
Photographed
PublishedSeptember 11, 2011

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