A curious plant, the Bat Flower

chantieri

It is increasingly common to find this peculiar plant in nurseries and garden centers, as well as houseplant in cold climates, or as a plant for patios and gardens in hot climates. The tacca chantieri, better known as Bat flower, It leaves no one indifferent due to its strange inflorescence, which is very reminiscent of a bat (hence its popular name).

Let's learn more about her.

It is a herbaceous plant, whose stems emerge from a rhizome which is fleshy, cylindrical and thick. It can grow up to 70 centimeters in height, with green lanceolate leaves. Native to the tropical jungles of Asia, it can be found living under the shade of trees.

As a houseplant, the Bat Flower is very decorative. It is ideal for patios or dimly lit rooms, as it is a plant that can live well in a pot.

In the garden planted in groups in shady corners it will give a special touch to the place.

Being a plant of tropical origin it needs a temperature above ten degrees. It does not tolerate cold or frost. To help it resist winter a little better indoors, we can pay it from October to February with a little Nitrofoska, putting half the dose recommended by the manufacturer. With this we will ensure that the roots are not very cold, thus preventing them from dying. It is advisable to place it in a warm greenhouse, or, failing that, in a room away from drafts.

To increase the humidity, we can spray it with rain, distilled or osmosis water, or place glasses filled with water around the pot.

The substrate of the Bat Flower must be draining, with black peat and perlite, for example. It does not tolerate waterlogging, so it is convenient to let the substrate dry between waterings.

More information - Decorative indoor plants

Image – Ostatní


23 comments, leave yours

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked with *

*

*

  1. Responsible for the data: Miguel Ángel Gatón
  2. Purpose of the data: Control SPAM, comment management.
  3. Legitimation: Your consent
  4. Communication of the data: The data will not be communicated to third parties except by legal obligation.
  5. Data storage: Database hosted by Occentus Networks (EU)
  6. Rights: At any time you can limit, recover and delete your information.

  1.   Elizabeth said

    Yes that is curious. I've never really seen it, not even in a book.
    Thanks for introducing it to me.

  2.   Monica Sanchez said

    You're welcome. 🙂

  3.   ellen said

    Hello Monica. I have this plant. For three weeks it has had two stems, one with an open flower that is already withering and the other does not open, even if the color of the flower leaves has changed to green. I have some photo. If you tell me where I can send it to you so you can see it. Thanks

    1.    Monica Sanchez said

      Hello Elena.
      Sorry for the delay in responding.
      If the overall plant looks healthy, don't worry about that stem that has turned green. Sometimes it happens that due to any external factor, no matter how small, the flowers decide to "go backwards" and not develop as they should.
      Greetings, and enjoy the Tacca! 🙂

  4.   Camellia Ionescu Mircea said

    Very good and thank you for your articles. I bought seeds of this plant, could you give me some tips to plant them? Thank you.

    1.    Monica Sanchez said

      Hello Camellia!
      To germinate the Tacca seeds you need:
      -Universal substrate (sold in any nursery), and better if it has perlite
      -organic fertilizer

      You mix the substrate with a little organic compost, fill the pot and water it well, place the seed on the surface, and then cover it with a very thin layer of substrate. Finally, with a sprayer, spray the pot to finish moistening the substrate.

      They need heat to sprout, between 20-25º. Therefore, if it is colder in your area, you can place the seedbed in a home greenhouse or indoors near a heat source (radiator, computer ...).

      Do not forget to use fungicide, since they are seeds, since such young seedlings tend to die from stem rot caused by fungi. You can already add fungicide to the seeds, this way you make sure that everything will be in order. And then add again as soon as they germinate, and then once every 15 days (or every 30 days if the product specifies it).

      Greetings and good luck!

  5.   Camelia said

    Thank you very much Monica, at the moment I am getting the Mono orchid 😉 but I keep trying with the bat too. It really has been very useful to me, where I bought them I put a whole roll, leaving them in the fridge I don't know how much ... poof, a whole philosophy, but I see that they also come out the simple way 🙂 Thank you very much. As soon as I have a flower I will post it.
    A abrazo.

  6.   Adriana Picolet said

    I LIVE IN CÓRDOBA, ARGENTINA HOW CAN I BUY A PLANT IN TACCA CHANTRIERI?

    1.    Monica Sanchez said

      Hello Adriana.
      This plant is becoming more and more popular, so if you ask in nurseries it is likely that they can get it for you. Lucky.

  7.   stink alexander said

    fine, thank you, it was a lot for me

    1.    Monica Sanchez said

      : )

  8.   Manuel Legorreta said

    Hello, could you please tell me what time is the ideal time to separate the new plants that come out of it since one of them dried up and I do not want the same to happen to me greetings from uruapan Michoacán México

    1.    Monica Sanchez said

      Hello Manuel.
      The ideal time is in spring. To do this, the easiest way is to remove the plant from the pot, and separate them by removing the soil carefully.
      For them to root, I advise you to impregnate the root system with rooting hormones before planting them in a pot.
      A greeting.

  9.   Manuel Legorreta said

    Thank you very much for answering my question. I will take your advice very much into account.

    1.    Monica Sanchez said

      Good luck, Manuel 🙂

  10.   Lourdes said

    GREETINGS
    MY NAME IS LOURDES
    I LIVE IN PUERTO RICO
    I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHEN THE SEEDS ARE READY TO SOW

    1.    Monica Sanchez said

      Hi Lourdes.
      The seeds of this plant turn blackish brown when they mature. It will be then when you can sow them.
      A greeting.

  11.   Barbara said

    Hello Monica. I bought this plant two weeks ago and I think I did everything I shouldn't have. While in bloom, change it to a large pot on a cloak. the flower and leaves went to the floor and the water that drains comes out brown. Can I save her?

    1.    Monica Sanchez said

      Hello barbara.
      Well, we will have to wait 🙂. I recommend that you water it with homemade rooting hormones (here we explain how they are made), and that you cut the flower, since it consumes a lot of energy.
      Control irrigation, avoiding waterlogging.
      A greeting.

  12.   Irina said

    Hello, how can I know which is the seed and the plant? The flower has already died. The seed is in the flower?

    1.    Monica Sanchez said

      Hi Irina.
      Yes, the seeds are in the flowers, but they must have been pollinated otherwise there will not be.
      I show you an image of the fruit and the seeds:
      Notch
      The image is from the web http://www.plant-world-seeds.com
      A greeting.

  13.   Maria Elisa said

    Monica I have a Tacca bush, it bloomed once, I had it in the sun and I realized she didn't like it, I passed it in the shade and she didn't want to bloom again, I'm in Anapoima between 25 and 28 degrees. what advice can you give me?

    1.    Monica Sanchez said

      Hello Maria Elisa.
      The Tacca plant likes bright environments but protected from direct sun. Whether it is in full sun or shade it can have trouble growing and / or flowering.
      To get it to flower it is also important to fertilize it, for example with guano (liquid) or another fertilizer such as Nitrofoska by adding two small tablespoons (of those of coffee) every 15 days.
      A greeting.