Amorphophallus konjacMany of our members and the community at large may remember the sensation caused when we placed the rare Voodoo Lily (botanical name: Amorphophallus konjac), commonly referred to as a ‘stinky plant’, on display in March 2014. As it bloomed, the fragrance of rotting flesh permeated the Fine Arts Gallery.

Well, the plants were back on display at the Taber Museum and did produce a myriad of baby stink plants. Thanks to the generosity of our Master Botanist Larry Fryda, a number of the Baby Stinks were made available for adoption for a donation to the Historical Society of $15. A number were sold to members and other interested folk, raising funds for the museum.

Also known as the devil’s tongue, elephant-foot yam, konjac, or koonyaku, the Voodoo Lily produces a single flower in the late winter or early spring. The plant produces a large, brownish- or maroon-colored spathe, which can be as large as 3 feet in diameter, surrounding a purple or mottled floral spike. After the bloom, the tuber leafs out and produces large, pretty foliage suitable for an outdoor patio during seasonable months.