Have you heard about the Bat Plant? Yes, you heard that right, there is a very unique tropical plant called the Bat Plant. It actually resembles a bat and is very different than other plants. And, most people have never seen it before and are simply amazed by its weird look.

The bat plant produces eye-catching foliage and the flower is one of the most talked about you will have in your garden. The flower is a strange looking one that almost resembles a bat’s black face with large ears and long spooky whiskers. This unusual tropical perennial comes from the monsoon forests of West Africa and South East Asia. (photo courtesy of Park Seed Co.)

For Gothic charm and a bit of Halloween decorations, get a bat plant bulb, plant it now in the autumn and you should have that unique ghostly garden next year. From what I understand, the bat plant blooms in late summer and early fall in Florida. For colder climates, it is recommended that you plant the bulb indoors in a container and then move it outside when the weather warms up.

If you want to have some fun, plant the bulb now in an unusual container like a hollowed pumpkin or a coffin like one with orange and yellow colors. Next spring, the plant will come up with lots of glossy leaves and in early summer, a stalk will develop resembling a budge near the tip. After that the flower begins to form, whiskers and all, resembling a bat’s face. (photo courtesy of Park Seed Co.)

The bat plant comes in white and maroon colors and the maroon one looks really spooky. It reaches 3 feet tall and wide and likes indirect sunlight so it is best to plant it indoors. If you want to plant it in the garden, dig a hole large enough so that you can put the whole pot into it. This way, you can easily move it indoors when the weather gets cold. (photo courtesy of Park Seed Co.)

To your ghostly garden,
Diana

This entry was posted on Monday, September 29th, 2008 at 4:50 am and is filed under Autumn Bulbs, Flower Gardening, Gardening, Perennials. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.