Genus: Dracunculus

Some bulbs do find the right way up even if planted upside down.

A trick I use if I am not sure which way up a bulb should be planted, is to put it on its side in the hole. Always works! This also works well for things like crown imperials where excessive moisture may lodge in the top of the bulb and cause rotting

Hi
I Love these plants/bulbs, i have just planted 3 in my border 6'' down with a mix of sand and compost, pointy bit upwards :)) they do really well in the garden rather than pots.

I assume by 'Dragon Arum' you mean Dracunculus Vulgaris, red with a black spathe.
I have just planted 6 and the pointed side does face upwards, sometimes the roots are not visible, but the bottom of my bulbs was smooth.
Be warned when these are in flower they produce a smell of rotting flesh to attract flies to pollinate them, so don't plant them too close to your, or your neighbours house, they might offend!!

Stunning looking, just as well the smell went.

it only smelt for one day. the petal around the long thing bent backwards on day two and i thought that was going to be it. but its now day four and it still looks great.

Very unusual looking.

Looks like it's sticking it's tongue out lol :-D

It might be stinking but it looks lovely

i had a look actually last night in my book which gives info on toxic plants and there was no mention of it being a problem in there. i know what you mean tho i have a 2 year old and i do try to research everything in the back garden before i put it in, but a few things have slipped through the net, that i have later had to move to the front - she does'nt go out there because we live on a main road. but great minds think a like, i have just made her a little flower bed of her own and bought some really easy seeds sunflowers carrots etc... thought i'd let her have a go with them in the spring ... far better to keep them amused than let them amuse themselves i think! lol

"The root is toxic, but has been gathered & processed by cooking & pounding to obtain edible starch called Arum Arrowroot, with which to pad out wheat flour in times of limited resources or famine." (The source of this information is -http://www.paghat.com/voodoolily.html). The plant has already been put in a large heavy pot with horticultural gravel on the top. I have lots of other fun stuff planned for the toddlers to do with seeds and herbs in the Spring so I doubt they will even get an opportunity to have any contact with the root of the plant. Thanks for pointing this out, I didn't think to check, but I've never come across any reference to toxicity whilst researching Dragon Arums.

Hi Andrea, hope you don't mind me butting in, but i would check weather or not it is toxic before you let your toddler near it, i know that some Arums are toxic, not sure about this plant but i think it is related to Zantedeschia.

Oh, that long eh?? I'll give it a go, if I don't like it i'll donate it to my toddlers nursery garden, kids love foul smelling things!!!

Just while it's in flower (which is not very long, two to three weeks if I recall) - it's attracting pollinators. As I don't have much of a sense of smell, it doesn't bother me!

Hi Andrew. About the smell, I've read that it only lasts for a limited time, in your experience how long does it last, days or weeks?? Thanks

Thanks Andrew, Yes I do realise this beautiful plant has its down side........................TTFN

I leave mine alone and the top growth disintegrates over winter and new growth comes through in the spring. I hope you realise that when it is in flower, it smells of rotting meat! (to attract the flies that polinate it)