Thursday, February 3, 2011

Voodoo Lily in Bloom




When I got into the greenhouse yesterday, this Voodoo Lilly was in bloom. The greenhouse had received this on May 10, 2010 from fellow WIU employee, Bruce McCormack's mother, who lives in the Quad Cities area. She had said it was an Amorphophallus. I was never really satisfied that it was but once it bloomed, I did more research and determined it to be Typhonium venosum. It has several synonyms including Sauromatum guttatum and Sauromatum venosum. It is found from Tropical Africa to China. It is hardy to -20 C (-4 F). Like the Titan Arum, the Voodoo Lily produces a putrid smell to attract carrion beetles and flesh flies for pollination.

Bananas!




Musa acuminata cv 'Dwarf Cavendish', Dwarf Cavendish Banana

Having banana plants produce fruit in the greenhouse is nothing new but oh so cool anyway, especially when it's zero degrees out with 16 inches of snow.

For a little past banana history at WIU check this out:
http://www.wiu.edu/users/msjlh2/2%20Feb%2066%20Western%20Courier.htm