Advice Please on Voodoo Lily (Dracunculus vulgaris)? Recentlymy husband was having to clear a garden whilst doing his work,...
Recentlymy husband was having to clear a garden whilst doing his work, and brought me home this opulent plant. I have identified it to be Dracunculus vulgaris and have found out give or take a few its dreadful smell. I have planted in stippled shade,in a slightly damp situation.
However, I own read that these plants could be invasive, is this true?
I had it growing for 10 years in a previous garden, and it thrived and flowered every year - grew into a clump going on for 2 feet across in that time. Wasn't that invasive within our warm climate I don't think that they are expressly invasive - enjoy!
My neighbours lived in a really old-fashioned English cottage, and this plant had been surrounded by their garden for decades - it hadn't spread invasively, so I'd recommend it as a safe bet for you.
I love this plant, mottled stems, lovely leaves, and unique flower, though the smell leaves for a moment something to be desired. I'm jealous, as it's not that widely available. Contact me if you ever want to get rid of some please ;)
Hope this help. Good luck! Rob
Answers: This dreadful plant is absolutely indispensible in the Fragrant Garden. You are so lucky!
The Voodoo Lily is truly a different plant than Dracunculus Vulgaris. It is called Sauromatum Venosum. I have grown both.
Dracunculus Vulgaris is the one beside the enormous liver-colored tureen with the awesome two-foot eggplant-colored spadix sticking out of it close to some kind of pervert on a park bench. The smell is truly horrific. My favorite planting of them is in a park and it is a hoot to see people, one after the other, checking the bottoms of their shoes when they walk departed the plant. At certain times of the day, it peak with the spectacularly offensive odor of rotting flesh that attracts flies by the hundreds. Amazingly, when I purely couldn't get enough of it, and slank into the park to see it merely once more that day, I discovered that the plant is silent and scentless by hours of darkness. Huh.
When I finally found one to buy, it was at the yard Dutch auction of an elderly gentleman. When I expressed my delight at the find, he shyly lead me to the side yard of his house, where he have replanted the offsets for decades and had a FORTY FOOT BORDER-- two and a partially feet wide--of them. Ye Gods. It was upsetting.
Dracunculus grows just fine in full sun.
The Voodoo lily, Sauromatum Venosum, does grow surrounded by dappled, slightly damp shade. I be most enchanted when poking about beside one of my teachers in his hindmost yard, and we happened upon a group of them perversely holding their ground. They are repulsively maroon-spotted, and evilly malodorous. I just love them.