Yes, it's the time of year we practice voodoo around here! Voodoo Lily magic that is!
Voodoo Lily (Dracunculus vulgaris or Arum dracunculus)
It goes by a lot of names besides Voodoo Lily, such as Dragon Arum, Ragons, Snake Lily, Black Arum, Black Dragon, Dragonwort, and Stink Lily. It's even got a special name in Greece, being the Drakondia, so-called because the long spadex inside the enormous maroon-lipped spathe reminds people of a dragon hiding.
A dragon peeking out?
If you're not "into" plants, the spathe is the big petal-like part that most people would probably consider the "flower". The spadix is the spike part sticking out of it.
Besides the large purple spathe and spadix, there is one other notable thing about this plant. It has a very unpleasant smell reminiscent of a carcass. That is because the pollinators of this species are flies (Lucilia and others).
Bugs on the stinky Voodoo Lily
Marvelous, a weird looking plant attracting flies. A must for everyone's garden. (Okay, I'll admit it. I actually think this is a pretty cool plant.)
Anyway, this plant is native to the Balkans, extending as far as Greece, Crete and the Aegean Islands, and also to the south-western parts of Anatolia. So how come it's growing here?
Well, I did NOT plant it. It just popped up on it's own, and I have no idea how it was carried here. This species was introduced to the United States, and is currently present in the states of Oregon, California and Tennessee as well as the commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
Got that? It's here in Tennessee! Ha! I figured that out already, cause I can see it with my own two eyes!
A little voodoo magic seen from the top.
There used to be a big colony of them before we dug the pond bigger. A lot of them got buried then. Nowadays, it's more a problem of them getting accidentally mowed down before they get big enough to bloom.
But even with only one plant, there's still some voodoo magic!
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
It seems, you are a professional photographer.
I saw many beautiful photos on your website.
Thanks for the kind words. I’m just an enthusiastic amateur!
At least we know what it is now. We have one that wintered in our basement withno water and suddenly produced a stinking flower! There were no flowers the first two years – now this.
Yes, it seems to need a couple of years before it blooms. I think the bulb has to get big enough to support all the energy needed to produce that odiferous bloom!