An Amorphophallus gigas, commonly known as a giant voodoo lily, cultivated at the Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden of the Chinese Academy of Sciences recently entered its blooming period, marking the first recorded instance of this species flowering in China.

According to the botanical garden in the Xishuangbanna Dai autonomous prefecture, Yunnan, the inflorescence of this giant voodoo lily reaches a height of 2.5 meters, whereas in its native habitat, the species can grow inflorescences as tall as 3.5 to 4 meters.

Native to the tropical rainforests of Sumatra, Indonesia, the Amorphophallus gigas has stringent requirements for temperature, humidity, and soil conditions, making artificial cultivation highly challenging.

"I heard it only blooms once every 5 to 7 years, so I'm really lucky to catch it this time," said Cui Shumin, a tourist from Henan province, in an interview with the Mengla County Integrated Media Center.

The giant voodoo lily was introduced in October 2025 from another botanical garden as part of an ex-situ conservation effort. Its successful blooming provides direct observational records for the ex-situ conservation of tropical plants, according to the botanical garden.

Amorphophallus gigas (Image by XTBG)

Amorphophallus gigas (Image by XTBG)

Amorphophallus gigas and Amorphophallus hewittii (Image by XTBG)

URL: https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202604/23/WS69e9e0eba310d6866eb45276_4.html