Amorphophallus - home care for the plant, types, photos and description

From the history of appearance

It is not known for certain who first came up with the idea of breeding the largest flower in the world, amorphophallus, as an indoor flower. Today, many amateurs grow it in artificial conditions. Many are scared off by the stench that this unique plant exudes.

Amorphophallus is a giant flower that strikes everyone

It should be noted that the unpleasant smell appears only when you touch the flower.

Application

There are tubers and other parts of the cadaverous flower should not be, because it contains a lot of poisonous substances. But this does not prevent the use of amorphophallus in folk medicine. The seeds contain the glycoside amorphine, which has a calming effect and improves the functioning of the heart muscle.

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It is interesting that the amorphophallus flower is not afraid of growing in an area with an increase in the radiation background, a large amount of exhaust gases. Here the plant grows even faster and feels comfortable. In addition, near the flower, improvements in air indicators are recorded with a diameter of several meters.

In pharmacy chains you can buy Fruticin tablets. The duration of treatment with them is from 20 to 30 days for the onset of a stable result.

Doctors of oriental medicine use the whole amorphophallus plant in its entirety to treat their patients. Flowers can relieve pain in the bones, are used for inflammatory diseases of the eyes. They can reduce heat. All parts of the plant are poisonous, you should not cook them yourself.

What does it look like

There are few people who dare to plant an amorphophallus flower in their home. This is probably due to the fact that few people are attracted by the "aroma" of decaying flesh in living quarters. Because of the smell, amorphophallus is rarely grown as a houseplant.

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The flower belongs to the Aroid family, although many mistakenly believe that it is a special type of lily.

Interesting. Unlike most other plants, the amorphophallus palm does not have dormancy periods.

The name of the flower is translated as "shapeless offspring." It also has one more name - a snake palm or a snake tree. It got its flower due to the similarity of its trunk with the skin of a reptile.

At the same time, the flower is not quite a flower, but a single petal of the original shape, which is covered with numerous specks. It surrounds the ear, the shape of which can vary significantly depending on the particular plant variety.

Amorphophallus dwarf (Amorphophallus pygmaeus)

The amorphophallus dwarf or pygmy native to Thailand is of obvious interest for lovers of indoor crops. A plant no more than half a meter in height stands out from a number of relatives by completely white elongated inflorescences with a small, also white bracts.

The smell characteristic of amorphophallus, this species emits only on the first night after the appearance of the cob and from spring to autumn pleases the owners first with the appearance of inflorescences, then with the berries formed on the cob, and then with thick green or almost black feathery leaves.

Video about the flowering of Amorphophallus in the apartment

Common types

The giant flower has many varieties.The main ones include the following.

Amorphophallus titanic

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Amorphophallus titanum (amorphophallus titanum) is a fairly tall and very large flower. Its tuber, which looks a bit like a potato, can reach 20 kg by weight. The ear of this plant species can grow up to two meters in height and has a burgundy fleshy inflorescence.

Among flower growers, amorphophallus Titanium is a fairly common species, but keeping it at home will not work because the plant is too large.

Curious. There are many interesting facts about amorphophallus titanic. For example, in Asian countries, this stinking plant is used for food. It is often used to add to soup. The tubers are used to make flour for the noodles. In this regard, in many Asian countries, it is called elephant bread.

Amorphophallus Cognac

The flower amorphophallus konjac is otherwise called amorphophallus pion-leaved. It has a relatively modest size, flattened tubers. The latter are about 20 cm in diameter. The length of the peduncle is about 60 cm, the cob is 50 cm. The inflorescence has a violet-burgundy hue.

The Cognac variety has more compact dimensions.

Amorphophallus bulbiferous

Bulbous, or bulbous amorphophallus is most suitable for the role of a houseplant, since it is particularly compact in size. The adult flower continues to grow to only half a meter in length. This species is characterized by a pale pink color and an inflorescence not higher than 30 cm in height.

Amorphophallus Rivera

Another variety that can be grown as a home plant is Rivera. It grows up to 1 meter. But this amorphophallus flower blooms much more often when planted at home. Truth never bears fruit.

Benefit brought

The plant's tubers are used in the culinary field. This plant is especially popular in Japan. Tubers are added to the first and second courses. In addition, flour is made from them, it is used for the production of homemade pasta. Dishes help eliminate allergies, remove toxins and toxins. In addition, they are used for weight loss.

Care features

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Like any other plant, the indoor snake tree requires some care.

Temperature

In the summer, the flower will feel great at room temperature. In winter, it is recommended to keep the plant cool from +10 to +13 degrees.

Lighting

The world's largest flower, amorphophallus, needs good lighting. Light must be diffused without fail.

Watering

During the period of intensive growth, amorphophallus requires quite abundant watering. In this case, do not allow water to enter the tubers. After the leaves begin to turn yellow and die off, the number of watering needs to be reduced.

Spraying

The plant requires periodic spraying. It should be performed at least once a week.

Humidity

Amorphophallus is hygrophilous. When growing a plant, this factor must be taken into account without fail. Low humidity is the main reason a crop may stop blooming.

Priming

The soil for planting should be neutral or have a weak alkaline reaction. You can prepare the soil mixture yourself from the following components:

sand;
peat;
leaf land:
sod land;
humus.

Most often, people who are passionate about it are engaged in the cultivation of a flower.

In addition to the above, it is recommended to add a small amount of pieces of pine bark or charcoal.

Top dressing

You should start feeding the flower only after the leaves have fully opened.If you do this earlier, fertilization simply will not work - the flower simply will not absorb nutrients. Formulations with a high phosphorus content are suitable for feeding. The application of mineral fertilizers should be alternated with organic ones.

When and how it blooms

Amorphophallus is an amazing plant that is especially prized for its flowers.

Types of flowers

The flowers of the snake palm are monoecious, without a perianth. They are divided into male and female.

Flower shape

The inflorescence has an oval or elongated (depending on the variety) ear and cover. The latter is either falling or non-falling, divided into a tube and a plate. The tube is cylindrical or bell-shaped, smooth inside or corrugated. The cover plate can also look different, depending on the specific plant variety taken.

Flowering period

A complete description of the culture will not be complete if you do not tell about the period of its flowering.

At home, amorphophallus blooms for one to two months in the summer with an interval of three years. The flower remains open for a week. Flowering takes a lot of energy from the plant. After its completion, even its underground tubers are significantly reduced in size.

Important! Young plants begin to bloom from the age of five.

Changes in flowering care

Caring for a palm tree during the flowering period is the same as on other days. Don't touch this amazing flower. Otherwise, the very next moment you will have to cry because of the intolerable stench. The structure of the flower is such that touching it causes an instant increase in the temperature of the plant up to +40 degrees. It is the temperature that leads to a serious increase in odor.

Amorphophallus titanum (Amorphophallus titanum)

Among amorphophallus there are plants of different sizes and shapes, but the titanic amorphophallus is rightfully called the most outstanding. The species was discovered and described at the end of the 19th century by the botanist Odoardo Beccari during a trip to western Sumatra.

The sight of an unknown plant amazed the public. Never before have people been able to observe the flowering of a two-meter inflorescence in the form of a powerful cob framed by a juicy stipule. Not only were the dimensions striking, but the smell emanating from the plant had nothing to do with the scent of flowers and was unforgettable.

Today, when scientists were able to conduct a chemical analysis of the "scent", it became clear that the aborigines who called amorphophallus a cadaveric flower were absolutely right. Among the components of the aromatic composition were:

dimethyl trisulfide, which determines the smell of some cheeses;
dimethyl disulfide and trimethylamine, present in the smell of rotting fish;
isovaleric acid, which is exuded by worn sweaty socks;
benzyl alcohol, which gives the smell a sugary sweetness;
indole, one of the components of the excrement odor.

The intensity becomes stronger as the bracts, greenish on the outside and purple on the inside, open up. The "aroma" of amorphophallus, as in the photo, serves to attract pollinating insects, so its strength changes during the day, reaching a maximum by the middle of the night.

In 1894, amorphophallus titanic was recognized as a symbol of the Indonesian Botanical Garden. Individual copies were sent to England and other European countries for study and demonstration to the public.

But neither the giant inflorescences, nor the smell helped to protect this species from almost complete extermination in the wild. Almost all of the "arum titanum" known today, as David Attenborough called the plant, are specimens from botanical gardens and greenhouses. These amorphophallus have their own names and constant monitoring of development and flowering.

Thanks to careful control, it was found that a record tuber weighing 117 kg in 2006 was obtained in Germany, and an ear of 3 meters 10 cm, which was shown in 2010 at an exhibition in the United States, was included in the Guinness Book of Records.

In addition to the unique cob inflorescence, which is considered the largest in the plant world, and the corms, the titanic amorphophallus has:

rather juicy erect stem;
a single pinnate leaf up to a meter in diameter with a variegated hollow petiole up to 3 meters high.

For the first time, a giant of the flora blooms 7-10 years after sowing. And the green part of the plant is shown above the ground only after the inflorescence wilts.

Then, at the base of the ear of amorphophallus, as in the photo, dense oval berries of orange or yellow color are formed. Flowering is extremely irregular. In some cases, inflorescences do not form for 5–8 years, but sometimes nature lovers can watch the development of one of the most unusual plants on the planet every year.

Breeding features

Reproduction of amorphophallus is possible in various ways.

Germinating seeds

Palm trees are rarely grown from seeds, since this is a very laborious and long-lasting process. And the plant will be able to bloom no earlier than in five years. If such a desire still arises, a step-by-step recipe for germinating seeds will look something like this:

Soak the seeds for a couple of days.
Mix garden soil, peat and vermiculite.
Place the seeds in the soil mixture to a depth of 7 to 12 mm.
Place the container with seeds in a warm and well-lit place.

Seedlings can be expected on average in ten days, in another week the seedlings will give the first leaf.

The bulbous variety is often grown in artificial conditions.

You should not rush to transplant the sprouted sprouts into separate containers, many of them will die as they grow.

Rooting cuttings

The plant is not propagated by rooting cuttings.

Dividing the bulb

An adult bulb, on which there are several buds, is divided into parts. The procedure should be performed in early spring, after small shoots appear on the buds. The incisions must be done very carefully to avoid kidney damage. Places of cuts must be treated with crushed charcoal, the tubers themselves should be dried a little in the air. After about a day, the planting material can be placed in the ground.

Growing problems

As with growing any other plant, certain difficulties can arise when caring for amorphophallus.

The size of the flower is amazing

Diseases

The plant is resistant to almost all known diseases. The only problem that can arise is bulb rot. Usually it is provoked by excessive watering.

Pests

Pests are also not able to cause significant damage to the palm tree. Only occasionally a spider mite or aphid can appear on young leaves, which will not be difficult to get rid of with the help of insecticides.

How to grow amorphophallus - a flower at home