Display of 100 Voo Doo Lillies--possibily the world's largest--through mid-March

Hours: M-F, 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. (no extended hours)

Biological Sciences Greenhouse, 340 W. 12th Avenue

Amorphophallus titanum: Titan Arum, aka corpse flower

Amorphophallus konjac: Voo Doo Lily, aka Devil’s Tongue

Sharing the same family name might make us cousins, but it does not mean we are very much alike. This is just as true of plant kingdom cousins as it is of our own.

Joan Leonard, ASC plant growth facilities program manager, has tallied up 214 species of Amorphophallus—“That’s a lot of cousins,” she says.

Leonard’s new, special exhibit may help the public untangle the Amorphophallus familial relationships.

In the past three years, Leonard has set records and made a name for herself and the Biological Sciences Greenhouse with multiple bloomings of the very rare, very smelly Titan Arum, aka corpse flower.

Last year alone Leonard bloomed three Titans: Woody 2nd on May 14; Maudine, on May 24, and Scarlet, on August 23. All Titans have been grown from seed by Leonard and all receive a “Buckeye” name. In the case of the third bloom, Titan fans for the first time were allowed to vote on a name.

For Leonard, it is not about record-setting or the challenge of growing and blooming something that is nearly impossible to do—it is about species preservation and growing a public awareness of the need to do so.

She is excited each time she can give the public an opportunity to be in the presence of the odiferous, but elusive Titan Arum and has made each bloom a teachable, memorable occasion for everyone who visits.

No matter how many people line up for the chance to see a Titan--and the lines are long--they are never rushed. They can get as close as they like, take as many photos as they want and ask and receive patient and expert answers to their questions—always laced with Leonard’s good humor.

One of the comments Leonard frequently has had to address is—”My aunt, neighbor, co-worker grows these in his backyard, windowsill, home greenhouse.”

Her answer is always the same patient, “No, he, she does not. They have a relative of the Titan Arum, called the Voo Doo Lily or Devil’s Tongue.”

For those who insist they’ve seen a Titan Arum growing somewhere in a house or yard, Leonard now has the perfect teaching tool.

She is letting Voo Doo Lilies take over the greenhouse—100 of them, in all—possibly the largest display of Voo Doo Lillies in the world.

“The Voo Doo Lily display offers us a wonderful opportunity to employ a sensory approach to educating our students and the community about plant diversity and the unique pollination mechanisms some plant species have developed.

“Voo Doo Lilies are common houseplants that are relatives of the Titan Arum, in the same family and genus,” Leonard says.

The most notable physical differences are in the flower and stalk sizes. The Titan has a huge flower and short stalk, whereas the Voo Doo Lily has a long (up to 5’) stalk and a smaller flower.

While this event is a bit more low-key than the spectacular Titan bloom viewings of the past few years, it is typical of Leonard’s whimsical way of making plant science fun.

“These plants show that nature has a sense of humor.

“And, even though these are common, they do have a famous relative and do share enough of a resemblance that it is easy to see why those who have never actually seen and smelled a Titan Arum (and that would be most people) could be confused,” Leonard says.

The exhibit is made possible by the generosity of Ohio State Alumnus John Lentz and his wife, Marci, who fell in love with the Voo Doo Lily’s oddness; they have been growing them for years.

Voo Doos will be on view during usual visiting hours through mid-March. For those who can’t get to the Greenhouse or who have sensitive noses, ASC Tech has set up a streaming video feed to allow them to enjoy the flower without the smell. http://ohiostatevoodoolily.click2stream.com/

--Sandi Rutkowski, Arts and Sciences Communications