Botanical Name: Tacca chantrieri
Want a truly unusual flower? Look no further than Bat Flower. Give it some space to spread its wings. Those dark, exotic flowers grow up to 12 inches (30 cm) across, and feature "whiskers" that reach 24 inches (60 cm) long.
Native to the rainforest in Yunnan Province, China, this tropical perennial is suited to average indoor temperatures. However, it doesn't like dry air at all, which can make it difficult to please in many homes.
Give your plant the humidity it craves. If the relative humidity drops below 50%, use a pebble tray or room humidifier to increase the moisture in the air. Grouping plants also helps to maintain the humidity around them.
In early spring, repot rhizomes in fresh potting mix. Unlike many flowering plants, this one doesn't like to be crowded so give it some space. This is a good time to divide rhizomes and pot them separately.
Origin: Tropical China
Height: Up to 3 ft (90 cm)
Light: Moderate to bright (indirect) light
Water: Keep the soil lightly moist at all times. Use a pot with a drainage hole to prevent soggy soil, which will cause the rhizomes to rot.
Humidity: Moderate to high, preferably 50-70% relative humidity.
Temperature: Steady temps of 65-70°F/18-21°C year-round.
Soil: Well-drained potting mix. Good-quality all-purpose potting mix will do. I'd mix in a couple handfuls of perlite to help drainage.
Fertilizer: Feed every 2 weeks with a 10-20-10 liquid fertilizer diluted by half while plant is growing and flowering.
Propagation: Divide rhizomes in spring and plant one piece per pot.
These tropical flowers need bright light to bloom, but keep them out of direct sunlight.
Tacca chantrieri is rare, but sometimes available from online nurseries.
An unusual tropical flower in the Dioscoreaceae family, this ornamental belongs to a diverse group, including yams.
A white variety (Tacca integrifolia) of this plant exists, but my sources tell me that White Bat Flower is not as easy to grow indoors.