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Avatar for GoldenRetrieverMom
Jul 3, 2023 5:07 AM CST
Thread OP
Southern New Jersey
Hey there - I just purchased a Tacca Chantieri/Black Bat Flower as an addition to my "Goth Garden". I live in New Jersey, zone 6b and my plan is to have it outdoors in a pot over the summer and bring it indoors when temps get below 50. Clearly, I'm going to have to use a lightweight pot so that it's large enough & still moveable. I know it likes to be moist, but not have soggy feet. I have read that they go dormant over winter (stop growing, but keep their leaves). Are there any other things I should know? Is this plan do-able? TIA for your advice.
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Jul 3, 2023 6:30 AM CST
Name: Gina
Florida (Zone 9a)
Tropical plant collector 40 years
Aroids Region: Florida Greenhouse Tropicals
The black bat is more prone to going dormant in winter than the white (Tacca integrifolia). Sometimes that dormancy DOES include losing the leaves. They grow from a tuberous rhizome, so they have the same ability to have the stored energy to come out of complete dormancy it they need to. I liken them to my Hedychium ginger that can freeze to the ground and pop right back up from the underground structure.
You don't need an overly large pot for the black bat. Its not nearly as large growing as the white. Probably only gets 1/3 the size. They also multiply a lot more slowly than the white, many times staying as single plants for many years before making an offset, as opposed to the white which will offset freely. The black will often seed, and you might find small plants pop up. Really good bright light is important to keeping them up over the winter. Black bat
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vs White bat

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