Local Grower: Bat Flower

Botanical name: Tacca spp.

Family: Bat Flower (Taccaceae)

Category: Tropical houseplant

Primary uses: Containers, sunrooms

Dimensions: 24 to 40 inches tall by 30 to 36 inches wide.

Culture: Full sun to light shade; bat flower is adaptable to indoor conditions if given bright light. In containers, it likes a well-drained moist potting mix and should be repotted every 3 years. It prefers a humid environment and indoors will benefit from being grown on a tray of pebbles with water and kept away from air conditioning vents. If grown outdoors it needs a bright spot in moist, well-drained soil and should be dug and brought indoors before the weather goes below 40 degrees. Fertilize during the summer to promote flowers.

Bloom time: Summer

Color: Maroon to brownish, black

General attributes: Bat flower is an unusual flowering plant for large containers. The long, lance-shaped leaves can be as much as 24 inches long and are reminiscent of a peace lily. The flowers, however, are much different. Each flower cluster and surrounding bracts give the appearance of a bat in flight.

More information: Look in the American Horticultural Societys “A- Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants or online at www.botany.com/ tacca.html

Mark Weathington

* Mark Weathington, who has a masters degree in horticulture from Virginia Tech, is director of horticulture at Norfolk Botanical Garden. For questions on this feature only, contact him at NBGHorticulture@aol.com or write to him at Gracious Living, 150 W. Brambleton Ave. Norfolk, Va. 23510; fax 446-2963. Look for featured plants at area garden centers or in catalogs..