Garden Blog - Top Tropicals

Date: 23 Jun 2025

Black Tacca Lily

Tacca Lily - Black Bat Flower, Devil Flower

A flying bat with whiskers. Tacca. It's rare. It's weird.
  • Tacca Lily - also known as the Black Bat Flower or Devil Flower, looks like something brewed up in a witch's greenhouse.
  • The flower isn't really a single flower - it's a full-on performance. Giant black-maroon "wings" stretch out like a bat in flight, while long, drooping filaments dangle like eerie whiskers or jungle jewelry. Some can reach over a foot long!
  • Those weird, wild filaments? They're not just for show - they are believed to help mimic the look of decaying matter to attract pollinators like flies. Creepy? Yes. Clever? Absolutely.
  • The plant blooms best when it feels pampered - think filtered light, tropical vibes, and spa-level humidity. A smart indoor exotic for a bathroom with a skylight!
  • It grows from a rhizome, and while the Black Tacca (T. chantrieri) is prized for its spooky looks, its Green cousin (T. leontopetaloides) is actually used to make a type of tropical arrowroot starch.
  • Some gardeners say it takes a while to bloom (maybe a few months) - but once it does, it becomes the crown jewel of the greenhouse. People will ask if it's real. You'll say, "Yes, and it lives here!"
  • Tacca comes in different species/colors: Black, White, Green:

Tacca nivea - White Tacca
Tacca chantrieri - Black Tacca
Tacca leontopetaloides - Green Tacca

📚 Learn more:

🛒 Shop Bat Head Lilies - Devil's Flower Tacca

#Nature_Wonders #Shade_Garden #Container_Garden #Fun_Facts

🔴 Join 👉 TopTropicals

Date: 23 Aug 2025

When plants cross into the Gothic: the Darker Bat Lily

Black Bat Lily (Tacca chantrieri)

When plants cross into the Gothic: the Darker Bat Lily
  • 🖤 Here’s a striking look at the Black Bat Lily (Tacca chantrieri) - its dramatic dark bracts resembling bat wings, trailing whiskers, and tropical elegance all in one. If you met its cousin, the White Bat Head Lily (Tacca nivea) in earlier video, you'll notice the family resemblance - same dramatic whiskers and wing-like bracts, but this one leans fully into the dark side.
  • 🖤 The Black Bat Flower isn’t just a bloom - it's a full performance. Giant black-maroon"wings" stretch out like a bat in flight, while long, drooping filaments dangle like eerie whiskers or jungle jewelry - some over a foot long!
  • 🖤 Those weird, wild whiskers aren't just for show either. They're thought to mimic the look (and no, not the smell!) of decaying matter, luring in pollinators like flies. Creepy? Yes. Clever? Absolutely.
  • 🖤 The Black Bat Flower blooms best when it feels pampered: filtered light, steady warmth, and spa-level humidity. It’s a smart exotic for a greenhouse or even a bright bathroom with a skylight.
  • 🖤 It grows from a rhizome, and while Tacca chantrieri is prized for its gothic looks, its green cousin Tacca leontopetaloides is actually used in the tropics to make arrowroot starch.
  • 🖤 Patience is part of the package - sometimes it takes months to bloom. But when it does, it becomes the crown jewel of the collection. People will ask if it's real. You'll just smile and say, "Yes - and it lives here."


🛒 Add this gothic gem to your collection - Black Tacca

Tacca colors: Black, White, Green:
Tacca nivea - White Tacca
Tacca chantrieri - Black Tacca
Tacca leontopetaloides - Green Tacca

📚 Learn more:

#Nature_Wonders #Shade_Garden #Container_Garden

🟢 Join 👉 TopTropicals

Date: 8 Jun 2024

Spooky! Bat Head - Devil Flower here

Bat Head Lily, Bat Flower, Devil Flower - Tacca Lily White

Bat Head Lily, Bat Flower, Devil Flower - Tacca Lily White

Bat Head Lily, Bat Flower, Devil Flower - Tacca Lily Black

Bat Head Lily, Bat Flower, Devil Flower - Tacca Lily Black

Bat Head Lily, Bat Flower, Devil Flower - Tacca Lily Black

Bat Head Lily, Bat Flower, Devil Flower - Tacca Lily Black

Bat Head Lily, Bat Flower, Devil Flower - Tacca Lily Green

Bat Head Lily, Bat Flower, Devil Flower - Tacca Lily Green

👻 Spooky! Bat Head - Devil Flower here...
  • Bat Head Lily, Bat Flower, Devil Flower - or Tacca Lily - is one of the most exotic and bizarre flowers along with Amorphophallus or Clitoria.
  • Curious, bat-like inflorescence both in shape and color, with wide spreading, wing-like bracts of rich maroon-black, accompanied by long trailing filaments or "whiskers".
  • Perfect container plant for a greenhouse. Needs filtered light, prefers high humidity.
  • Comes in different species and colors: Black, White, Green:

Tacca nivea - White Tacca
Tacca chantrieri - Black Tacca
Tacca leontopetaloides - Green Tacca

🛒 Shop Bat Head Lily Tacca

#Nature_Wonders #Shade_Garden #Container_Garden

🏵 TopTropicals

Date: 25 Aug 2024

When Bat Head Devil Flower is in bloom

Tacca chantrieri - Black Tacca

🌚 When Bat Head Devil Flower is in bloom
  • Tacca Lily - has been in bloom all summer, on an off.
  • Curious, bat-like inflorescence both in shape and color, with wide spreading, wing-like bracts of rich maroon-black, accompanied by long trailing filaments or "whiskers".
  • Perfect container plant for a greenhouse. Needs filtered light, prefers high humidity.
  • Comes in different species and colors: Black, White, Green:

Tacca nivea - White Tacca
Tacca chantrieri - Black Tacca
Tacca leontopetaloides - Green Tacca

📚 Learn more from previous post:
Bat Head - Devil Flower

🛒 Shop Bat Head Lily Tacca

#Nature_Wonders #Shade_Garden #Container_Garden

🔴 Join 👉 TopTropicals

Date: 18 Jun 2025

What is the rarest Tacca?

Tacca leontopetaloides - Green Bat Flower, Devil Flower

What is the rarest Tacca?
  • 💚 Tacca leontopetaloides - Green Bat Flower, Devil Flower - is the rarest Tacca of them all!
  • 💚 Move over Black and White - this is the green bat flower, and it's in a class of its own!
  • 💚 Tacca leontopetaloides is a collector's dream and is rare in cultivation. With eerie greenish-purple flower clusters perched on tall stalks and long, trailing whisker-like bracts, this plant looks like something out of a botanical fairytale.
  • 💚 Unlike its fussy cousins, the Green Bat Flower is surprisingly easy to grow. It thrives in shady or semi-shaded spots, comes back reliably each spring, and doesn’t mind a bit of neglect. Its glossy, deeply divided leaves die back in fall and return with vigor as the weather warms up. A well-draining pot, occasional feeding, and moderate watering are all it asks for.
  • 💚 Native to Asia, Australia, and the Pacific Islands, it's more than just a pretty face - this plant has traditional medicinal uses too. But let's be honest: most collectors grow it for the jaw-dropping display.
  • 💚 Very few collectors have this variety - don't miss your chance to be one of them!


📚 Learn more about Taccas:

🛒 Get the rare Green Bat Flower - easy to grow and unlike anything else in your garden

#Nature_Wonders #Shade_Garden #Container_Garden

🟢 Join 👉 TopTropicals
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