Amorphophallus konjak

Amorphophallus konjak is a native to the Orient and South East Asia. It is perhaps the easiest of all the Amorphophallus species for a temperate climate and it is probably the hardiest. Nonetheless, care is needed in its cultivation. It requires a well-drained substrate that is also rich with organic matter. The best way to achieve this is to surround the tuber in a bed of bark and sand that is then surrounded by the more fertile humus-rich soil.

On tubers that are large enough, the tall dark-maroon inflorescence arises, usually in Spring - before the foliage. It has a tall dark erect spadix and like most in the genus it has a strong fetid odour. The foliage emerges from its long dormancy in early summer and grows rapidly. The petiole is mottled with pale pink and grey or olive-green and brownish spots and is divided at the top to form the classic Amorphophallus structure resembling a complex umbrella from which the leaflets hang like leaves from the canopy of a tree.

Water and fertilise well during the summer and keep dry as the autumn develops. Most growers prefer to lift the tuber for winter to ensure they don't rot in the cold wet weather. When the foliage starts to die down in autumn it is best to leave the tubers alone until at least November or even longer to allow the new bulbils to develop. These are produced on the ends of long rhizomatous growths from the tuber. These long rhizomes eventually wither away to leave the new bulbils. This is usually the best time to lift them, although some tubers will usually have some of the rhizomes attached.

Sold as tubers during winter dormancy.