No not really from the crown, but still it looks strange. No, it does not stunt their growth at all, it is a necessity. No, there is not necessarily very much below the soil. In the foto you see a 'normal' Anchomanes difformis in its leafless stage (in the background, unsharp, one with leaves). Mine (two tiny youngsters, a few years old) are just dying back right now, I see no relation with the calendar. They just grow and fade away again as they like. (pic taken at VU-Amsterdam botanical garden).

Ruud

Here you see that the roots grows from the underside, certainly with this welwitschii subspecies:

http://www.aroid.org/genera/sp...

Ruud

The fronds of my Amorphophallus paeoniifolius. The area got a bit over grown in the last couple of months. I will dig up the new small bulbs this winter and replant.

I love the foliage of these guys!

Me too.

I'm still waiting on all of mine to show themselves ! Geesh !

I feel your pain MJ .. I waited something like 5 years until mine bloomed and I was very lucky to get 2 at once!

Anne, all of mine except Konjac have bloomed before. But none of them are even breaking ground yet this year.

I'm not surprised .. the ground is still in the 60's here and I haven't been able to plant anything out yet .. it will be in the 80's for the next week or so and hopefully by next week I'll be able to start planting in the ground.

It was a very mild winter and a few things are popping up early. Arisaema sikokianum 'Silver Center' overwintered and is blooming.

A. bulbifer 'stemulation', putting up multiple stems from a single corm, as usual.

The fly's are swarming.

Amazing!

Sometimes i am happy that we cannot tranfer smell yet....

Ruud

Wonderful Evan, Magnificent. Smellorama. Mine Elephant Yams have just died back this week for the winter.

I can buy seedlings of Amorphophallus titanum for $45 from a nursery to the north of here. It is tempting. This is a video of the nursery owner finding them in Sumatra, Indonesia.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?...

This is probably a bit of foolishness, but it makes me happy anyway:
(A. titanum breaking dormancy for the first time)

Not at all. It would make me happy too, Paul!

There was a very good segment on propagating Elephant Yam on Gardening Australia recently (Gardening Australia Series 27 Ep 26).

I do agree: would make me happy! Do not have tried it myself as up to now I have not found one for an acceptable price from a trusted seller. Too often heard from people who were sold ordinary A. konjac for a ridiculous price instead.
But yes of course: they are too expensive and yes, you have hardy a chance and yes, I would certainly burn my fingers too! (And enjoy doing so)


Ruud

here's a poem I made for you and all other Amorphophallus growers
I'm not going to go so far as get a titan arum but I still like the plant


Corpse flower lore is woven in stone, upon the chosen, the path is shown,

To grow the Lord of the flies...

. is a test a trial... where confidence dies

upon a whim where heartfelt lies.

never give up for one day there may be

a flower to defy reality.