Vampire Lily

Vampire Lily

Dracunculus vulgaris

Family: Araceae

No rotten garden is complete without the beloved Vampire Lily, Dracunculus vulgaris. Also called the Dragon Arum, it is in the Araceae family along with the Black Calla, and sports one of the finest botanical names in the whole rotten world! Similar in appearance to the Black Calla and more so, the Voodoo Lily, the Vampire Lily produces multiple green stems that appeart to be splattered with blood. Its flower is a deep dark red and has a ruffled edge, and the spadix is long, blackish purple, and totally evil. Not unlike its Voodoo cousin its fading flower emits a smell like that of rotting flesh, designed to attract flies and carrion beetles that pollinate it.

Culture~

Height: 14”-20”

Hardiness: to 25º

Full sun in mild climates, partial shade in hotter climates.  Regular water, mulch only in coldest climates. Thrives on neglect. Do not over fertilize. Native to Mediterranean Europe.

Took this picture from Listverse's top 10 Coolest Plants
Note that I do own several Vampire Lillies, planted inside a giant blood red pot, but they are not in bloom right now (it is January!) so I took a picture from this link: http://listverse.com/2007/11/30/top-10-coolest-plants/
Which happens to have some other super cool plants that I love, like the Corpse Plant. I will get into that later.

Published by Amber Guetebier

I am an amateur ethnobotanist, avid collector, horticulturist of horrors, and obsessive gardener with a penchant for those members of the Plant Kingdom that are strange, steeped in lore, unique, ugly, beautiful, and truly bizarre. Dark leaves, black flowers, poisons, antidotes, history and histrionics all have a place in my garden bed. I am also a writer, editor, and proud mother of a little baby boy who enjoys spending afternoons in the garden with his mother. I run Tulipani, a gardening business in San Francisco. You can contact me at aguetebier@gmail.com (Amber Guetebier, it means good beer!)

Araceae, Stinky Plants

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5 thoughts on “Vampire Lily”

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  1. Pingback: Dead Horse Arum! « rottenbotany
  3. Pingback: Dead Horse Arum Rises from the Earth | rottenbotany

  5. I have a Dragon Lily (Voodoo Lily) (Dracunculus Vulgaris) growing in my front yard in Beverly Hills. Been coming up annually for many years. I don’t see any way here to attach a photo, Is there any demand for this unusual plant ???

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