Is there a more jaw-dropping flower than the White Bat Flower (Tacca integrifolia)? I came across this plant and just about died! How cool are these flowers?
Each of these flowers that you see is about 4″ across and the long “whiskers” are more than 12″ in length. These crazy flowers are held high above large glossy green leaves, very similar to that of a peace lily.
How to Grow White Bat Flower
The White Bat Flower (Tacca integrifolia) will grow best in conditions similar to a peace lily. As you can see here, dappled sunlight but primarily shade is preferred. These plants get regular irrigation, but stay a little bit on the dry side. They handle the wet and humid Florida summers like a champ and even without flowers are a nice addition to a tropical landscape.
So what are we looking at in the flowers here? The two white “wings” at the top are technically “bracts.” The small purple discs that hang down are the actual flowers. If you examine them closely you can look inside and see the clusters of stamens inside each. And those long “whiskers” that hang? Those are also modified bracts.
Bat Flowers Planted Outside
In the Florida garden you can expect to see White Bat Flowers put on blooms in the warmest part of the year, generally June through September. The rest of the year they will keep growing their lovely large green leaves. As natives of Southeast Asia they do not love cold temperatures and you may see some damage on the leaves if temperatures drop below 30 degrees.
Bat Flowers as a Houseplant
I haven’t tried these as a houseplant, but my gut feeling is that they would do well indoors. Because they are so tropical it would probably be good to have them in a pot that sits in a saucer that has some small pebbles and water in it to help add some extra humidity.
Now that I am writing this I am actually looking online as we speak to order a plant? Our move to Iowa means that I will really get to try this out as a houseplant once and for all. A little bit of searching online is finding these for as low as $15. They will get almost 24″ tall and wide, so this is a fairly large plant. While I think this will do wonderfully outside during the summer it is something to think about when it comes inside for the winter.
The White Bat Flower is sure to stop you in your tracks. Is it time to consider buying one (or three) for your garden this summer?