Voodoo lily is a cormous, herbaceous perennial plant native to forest margins and thickets in China but naturalized throughout much of eastern Asia. It is a member of the arum family (Araceae). The plant is widely cultivated in Japan and China as a food source and as an ornamental. The species epithet is a transliteration of the Japanese common name for this aroid. Voodoo lily grows best in moist but well-drained, humus-rich, fertile soil and dappled shade. It does not tolerate clay soil. Avoid hot, afternoon sun, especially when the leaf first emerges and is most sensitive to scorching. Plants tolerate a minimum temperature of 60 degrees F during the growing season, though the optimum range is 68 to 77 degrees F. Fertilize regularly. Reduce watering during the winter dormant period. The leaf and inflorescence are intolerant of frost, but the corm is hardy. Propagate from offsets (cormels) or seeds. The plant produces one enormous leaf from the corm and one flowering stem annually. The large showy flowers are purple and appear in the spring. When fully open, the spadix heats up and emits an odor of rotten flesh that attracts carrion flies and midges, which pollinate the flowers. The smell disappears once the flowers have been pollinated. It has glossy brown edible corms (bobo-tuber) that produce cormels each year. The corm is edible but contains calcium oxalate that makes it toxic if consumed raw. The voodoo lily is more curious than beautiful and can be grown in an Asian-themed garden or a sensory garden. It makes an interesting greenhouse subject or houseplant, but it must be moved outdoors when in flower, as the stench in an enclosed space is overpowering. Diseases, Pests, and Other Plant Problems: No known diseases or insect pest issues. More information on Amorphophallus .
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day) | Deep shade (Less than 2 hours to no direct sunlight) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Alkaline (>8.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist
Growth rate
Rapid
Maintenance
Medium
Canopy layer
4 - Herbaceous
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Erect
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Leaf value
Showy
Leaf size
> 6 inches long, > 6 inches wide
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
A bipinnate, highly divided, single leaf with a pink leaf stem grows from a corm. The leaf grows up to 39 inches long while the corm grows up to 1 foot in diameter. The stem can reach 4 to 5 feet tall.
Flower color
Brown/Copper; Purple/Lavender; Red/Burgundy
Flower value
Fragrant; Showy
Flower form
Spadix
Flower size
> 6 inches
Flower detail
When the corms reach maturity they produce an inflorescence before the leaf emerges. The aroid-type infloresence is made up of a dense, spike-like spadix which bears numerous, small, male and female flowers and a leafy, dark maroon to purple-brown spathe with ruffled margins. The 3 to 4 foot tall bloom emits a strong odor of rotten flesh to attract pollinators.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Non-native
Origin
East Asia and southwest China
Distribution
Primarily Asia
Attracts
Pollinators
Food & Medicine
Edible parts
Tubers
Edibility
The tubers are starchy and edible when cooked like a potato. It is commonly dried and ground into a flour and used in noodles and tofu. Can be toxic if eaten raw.
Uses (ethnobotany)
Used as a food source and traditional medicine in Asia. In Japan, the corm is known as a great source of Konnyaku, a type of flour used in many dietary products, and jelly.
Toxic if eaten raw. This plant belongs to a family where members contain calcium oxalate crystals which, if eaten, makes the mouth, tongue and throat feel as if small needles are digging in to them. Calcium oxalate is broken down by thoroughly cooking the plant or by fully drying it, rendering it safe to eat. People with a tendency to rheumatism, arthritis, gout, kidney stones and hyperacidity should take especial caution if including this plant in their diet.
Toxic principle
Needle-like, calcium oxalate crystals; possible proteins.