Guide For Growing The Bat Plant Rightly And Have Its Beautiful Flowers Blooming!

The bat plant may seem like the perfect Halloween decoration for your house but it is just the looks of this plant that are to be held responsible and there is nothing eerie about it. One of the most visually stunning plants, the bat plant flower can be made blooming in any house with the right start and care, and here is all about the process.

More...

About the bat plant

This plant which is primarily famous for the mysteriously beautiful flowers that grow on it is a member of the flowering plants family called Yam or Dioscoreeaceae. It belongs to the genus called Tacca and the botanical name that has been given to this plant is taccachantrieri. The Tacca genus is a group of perennial herbs that have tuberous roots, big leaves at the stem base, and dense flower clusters.

The plant has been a native of tropical countries like China, Malaysia, and Thailand; the regions in Southeast Asia. The habitat of this plant is mostly the tropical forests where they grow under shades like that of other trees or areas receiving lesser sunlight.

The uniquely spectacular thing about this plant is the flowers that grow on it and can have two different colors depending upon the species- black and white. It is the black flower species that is most commonly found and it has another name- Devil’s flower. The name of the plant is based on its bat-like looks which become evident with its bracteal shape.

The flowers of black bat plant are mostly used for ornamental purposes due to their extraordinary looks. You may also see them as closer to the orchid flowers due to their morphological features. This plant can be grown both indoors as well as outdoors depending on the location in which it is being grown.

Physical characteristics of the bat plant

The mysterious looks of the plant and its parts are a major attraction and here is all about the morphology of this plant that will intrigue you much.

The bat plant flower is the most unique thing you will ever see with the bat wing-shaped flower that has black bracts growing across up to 12 inches. There are whiskers like filament growths on the flowers too that can be as long as 28 inches and add an interesting charm to plant looks. The flower also has hues of maroon or purple color along with an eye like gravity in the center that intensifies the mysterious looks of the flower.
The foliage of this plant includes bright leaves of green color that grow up to very big. These emerald leaves give a dramatic touch to the backdrop of the beautiful flowers.
The flower bracts can be as wide as 12 inches and they are spread outwards that give the looks of a bat taking flight. The flowers growing within these bracts look like the bat itself.

Growing the bat Plant

You may tend to think that this plant is difficult to grow and maintain due to the exotic looks that it possesses. However, the case is exactly the opposite where it is just following the steps of bat plant care rightly that it takes to have this very hardy plant blooming in your garden. Let us now see all about growing this plant.

Basic requirements of the plant

You can have huge numbers of bat flower blooming in the plant when it gets the right start and here are the essential things to ensure:

Choosing the right place to start the plant depends upon the climatic conditions of the area that you are living in. Usually, the bat plants can be grown outdoors easily as compared to indoors when the climate is warm but they will do well indoors if frost is a risk in your region.
These plants prefer shade but you don’t have to cut them off from warmth too. Avoid direct sunlight falling on them, so plant them somewhere near walls or bigger trees for giving them indirect light and warmth.
Humidity is the supreme need of this plant as can be understood from its native growth conditions. Make sure to maintain the humidity levels if planting indoors via pebble trays or humidifiers.
The soil mix to be used for the plant growth must be well-draining as well as moisture-retaining too with a light texture. You can use a soil mix containing peat moss as the base and vermiculite and perlite added to it. For outdoor cultivation, mix sand in the topsoil.
The ideal temperature range for this plant is 40- 70 degrees F and anything less or above the range can damage the leaves.

Method of propagating the plant

The right and most suitable method of starting this plant involve the use of a rhizome with which the process becomes easier and yields faster results. Get a taccachantrieri rhizome and then go ahead with planting it in the prepared pot of soil. The right way to do so is to keep the rhizome upright and about half an inch of the leafy growth portion kept above and exposed.

The rhizome must be, in the end, be lying perpendicularly in the soil and all other than the first half-inch portion be buried in the soil. Water the soil immediately and then wait till the shoots emerge. This plant grows rapidly and it wouldn’t take long to spread.

Caring for the bat plant

Starting the plant is easy but maintaining what it requires during the growth as well as later period may be a bit challenging. Read carefully as we are going to tell you precisely what needs to be done:

Moisture is a great need of this plant due to its tropical nature; thus, ensure that the soil remains adequately moist all the time but not dripping wet can cause damage to the roots. Water according to the warmth and humidity levels of the plant surroundings and lower down the frequency during the cooler months when the plant goes dormant.
Repotting the plant annually is very important as the roots like to spread wider and will go damaged if bounded. To control the excessive growth, you can trim the roots too.
Any good liquid fertilizer with 10-20-10 nutrient proportions is good enough to be fed to this plant once in two weeks during the spring season for a great bloom.
Make sure to keep the plant protected from harsh and cold winds as the leaves may end up damaging themselves with all the rattling. If you live in a windy zone, keep the plant indoors.
Right winter care is very important for the bat plant growing outdoors as they cannot tolerate temperature drops and frost.
You can prune the leaves that have wilted or yellowed out for maintaining the health of the plant.
Some minor insects can bug your plant but that can be treated with any mild insecticide spray.

Conclusion

You may feel that the process to grow bat plant is tiresome but trust us, seeing the extraordinary blooms will make you feel all the efforts have gone into the right motive. Having second thoughts already? Shun them and get your hands at the Tacca rhizome and start moving with the process of growing it when the time is right.

Related posts:

Click Here to Leave a Comment Below 0 comments