How to grow unusual, delicious and stinky yams | DIY Garden Projects | Gardening Australia

Jerry is never one to shy away from unusual plants, or explore those that few have gardened with before. One genus that ticks all of these boxes is Amorphophallus; an intriguing and endlessly fascinating group of plants.

00:27 Within the genus, the Snake Plant (Amorphophallus bulbifer)is one of the most easily sourced and widely grown, and it is not hard to see why. Deriving its common name from the mottled pattern of the stem, the Snake Plant provides the gardener with a bit of a gamble each year, producing either one flower, or one leaf, per season. It is always a thrill to see what will emerge after a winter dormancy.

The foliage is showy, and grows to around a meter high, but the flower is not without its (smelly) charms either – a large, attractive lily-style flower, the scent is akin to a variety of rotting meats and mature urine. As the flower warms, this intense fragrance is puffed into the air, attracting blowflies and flies to act as pollinators over a four-hour period.

01:33 Another of Jerry's favourites is the Elephant Foot Yam, Amorphophallus paeoniifolius cv. The flower spends many weeks as a bud, and, upon opening, will only do so for a few days. A large spathe surrounds what is actually a complex pair of flowers, one male and the other female. The yellow, spongy male flower at the base emits the pungent odour, while the cushiony female flower at the top holds the pollen, easily transported by flies.

02:12 Jerry grows a bed of these fascinating plants, not just for their flower, but also as food. These yams produce edible tubers, at a rate almost double that of a potato, and Jerry reckons they make the best chips ever. (02:31)
The leaves can grow to a whopping 1.5m across in a season and, in Autumn when the leaves die down, the tubers can be harvested. But be cautious – not all Elephant Foot yams are edible! Those that are edible have a smooth stem, whereas the wild, uncultivated variety has a bumpy, spiky stem.

03:13 Another must-have for Jerry is Konjac (Amorphophallus konjac), which will produce a spectacular, meter-tall flower at about three years of age. They are also a valuable crop, especially for those on a calorie-controlled diet – plenty of fibre and a filling meal with no calories!

Regardless of which one you choose, they will all do best in a warm climate, with rich, well-dug soil and plenty of food.

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