Dracunculus VULGARIS

Dracunculus VULGARIS - Common dracunculus, Dragon lily, Dragon arum, Black arum, Voodoo lily.

Dracunculus is a small genus in the arum family (Araceae), a close relative of Amorphophallus and Sauromatum. The plant is native to the Balkans, Greece, the Aegean Islands, and Asia Minor, where it grows on rocky slopes, forest edges, and along the margins of olive groves.

The plant is a perennial tuberous herb with a pronounced seasonal cycle that completely coincides with the cycle of Amorphophallus: growth in spring and summer, complete dormancy the rest of the time.

A single robust pseudostem formed by fused petioles rises from the tuber, featuring a characteristic spotted pattern resembling snakeskin. The leaf blade is deeply palmately divided, closer in shape to the leaves of Sauromatum. The inflorescence is a large spadix surrounded by a velvety dark-purple spathe.

Dracunculus vulgaris is a plant 60-100 cm (24-39 in) in height, and under favorable conditions even taller. The spathe reaches 40-60 cm (16-24 in) in length, greenish on the outside, dense maroon almost black on the inside, with a velvety texture. A black-violet spadix protrudes from it along its entire length.

Flowering occurs in May and June and lasts only two to three days. After flowering, the plant forms a dense spike of bright orange berries, and by late summer the aerial part dies back and the tuber enters dormancy.

Dracunculus seeds are extracted from ripe orange berries, completely cleaned of pulp, and rinsed: the pulp contains substances that inhibit germination. Then the seeds are soaked for 24 hours in a weak solution of potassium permanganate or in a growth stimulant solution: SUPERthrive, HB-101, Aminozol, Epin, or Zircon. Stratification is desirable: 6-8 weeks at 3-5 °C (37-41 °F) in moist sand.

Sowing is carried out in a loose substrate of peat and sand to a depth of about 1.5 cm (0.6 in). The sowing is moistened from a spray bottle, covered with a transparent lid or placed in a mini-greenhouse, and germinated at a temperature of 18-22 °C (64-72 °F).

Sprouts appear after 4-8 weeks, unevenly. Sowings are ventilated daily and condensation is removed. In the first season, seedlings produce one simple leaf and build up a tuber; a plant from seed blooms in the 4th to 5th year. It is simpler to propagate Dracunculus by daughter tubers separated during autumn digging.

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In summer, the best spot is in the garden, beneath tree canopies that protect the plant from scorching sun. At this time, it is convenient to sink it into the soil directly in its pot.

The plant is cold-hardy enough to overwinter in open ground in mild southern regions. In temperate zones, the tubers are stored in a dry cold spot, acceptable even in complete darkness: either directly in the pot with soil in which the plant spent the summer, or dug up, in a box of clean dry sand.

Watering is regular during the growth period, after the top layer of substrate dries out. With the onset of foliage yellowing, watering is stopped completely: during dormancy, the tuber must remain dry.

The substrate should be loose, nutritious, and permeable, with the addition of sand. Drainage is mandatory at the bottom of the pot, and a deep container is chosen to accommodate the large tuber.

Feeding with complete fertilizer is applied once every two to three weeks during active growth and ceases by the end of summer.

The tuber is planted in spring to a depth of 10-15 cm (4-6 in). The blooming plant is best not placed right next to the house: the scent on the first day of flowering is very strong.

Special notes: Like all aroids, Dracunculus contains calcium oxalate crystals and irritates the skin and mucous membranes, and the bright orange berries are poisonous. It is best to work with the tuber wearing gloves and keep the plant out of reach of children and domestic pets.