Plant Doctor Archive

Sauromatum venosum

I HAVE enclosed a photo for you to identify this plant for me, please. It is a type of bulb that gets bigger each year, and you get offsets from it as well. It starts to grow in late spring and dies down in the middle of April. It has not flowered and I am not sure whether or not it does have flowers. These are about 4-5 years old. It will not grow outside of Southland. I do have a name but I'm not sure about it - Amorphophallus rivieri.

WELL, what an interesting plant you have! I have spoken with Terry Hatch from Joy Plants in Pukekohe about your plant. He says it is possibly a Sauromatum venosum, or Voodoo Lily. It is a subtropical plant and flowers in spring. Flowers arise before the leaves. The flowers are shaped like an arum lily. It is not a very common bulbous plant, and you are very fortunate to have it growing in Gore. Keep it indoors and it will be fine.

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