Bat flower

Seeds: 10  / Botanical name: Tacca chantrieri

Bizarre flower with long beard hairs

The perennial bat flower, also known colloquially as devil's flower or demon flower, is truly a bizarre plant. From the approximately 70-centimeter-tall plant emerge brownish-purple bracts with filaments up to 40 centimeters long, giving it the appearance of a bat. The actual flowers, which are borne on stalks of varying lengths, are located in the center of the bract. A single plant can produce up to three odorless flowers, which last for several weeks.

Natural habitat: The bat flower is native to the subtropics and tropics of Southeast Asia. There, it grows in forests, valleys, and along riverbanks at altitudes of 200 to 1300 meters.