PlantFiles: Typhonodorum
Typhonodorum lindleyanum

I currently have three of these growing in my greenhouse, all about 7 months old. Approximately 7 or 8 inches tall initially, they are now about 3 feet tall and growing more rapidly as their size increases. I planted them in 3 gallon pots, in a mixture of sand, perlite, potting soil, and sphagnum moss. I placed all three in a large plastic storage container and filled water to about 1 or 2 inches below their soil line. The covering above them gives only about 20% shade, so they get a good deal of sunlight. When temperatures dropped here in the fall, I threw in a large aquarium heater which I have kept on all winter. I am guessing that I will have to leave them in the 3 galon pots to limit their height--my greenhouse is only 8 feet tall at its highest. Beautiful large tropical leaves.

Very tropical and common landscape plant along lakes and canals in south Florida. Very tropical-looking and banana tree-like. May be invasive from zone 10a southward in U.S. Introduced from Madagascar and Tanzania in Africa. A great plant if kept under control!

This is a giant of the Araceae family, reaching up to 4m tall. Living on shallow and slow creeks, and lakes of Madagascar, nearby islands and Tanzania, this is a tree-like plant with broad, heart shaped, plain green leaves. The older leaves turn yellow, dry and fall, but the fibrous petiole stay on the plant, covering the lower stem, giving it some kind of a palm-like looking.

The flowers are protected by a huge white or ligh green bract that exhalates an unpleasant odor that atracts beetles. The pendent inflorescences produce lots of fleshy fruits covered with a sticky mucilage that irritates the skin - so, don´t try to gather seeds unless you rreally need to. It can be easily propagated by new shots from its submerged tuber.

It needs to be planted on calm and shallow water, preferably small lakes, with little water level changes. It likes full sun and high temperatures. And imponent aquatic plant, ideal to mark the middle of a lake, if you have one.