Elevate Your Spooky Season With Our Black Bat Flower Care Guide

This spooky season, let your neighbors have their cardboard skeletons and obnoxious spider webs. Instead, decorate your yard with the exotic black bat flower.

With an almost alien look that resembles a combination of bat wings and cat whiskers, these flowers are sure to attract attention. So, make sure yours is receiving the proper care by reading our planting and care guide below!

Black Bat Flower Facts

To see a black bat flower in person is to understand how diverse and distinct flowers can truly be. Due to its unique appearance, the plant sometimes goes by other visually forward names like cat’s whiskers, tiger beard, and even the devil’s flower. 

The flower blooms in purple clusters from a stem growing from the center of the plant. Hovering above the flower are two wing-like leaves, or bracts, that can reach a width of up to 12 inches and resemble the flapping appendages of a certain flying rodent.

Hanging from beneath the flower is a series of eight-to-ten-inch bracteoles that evoke the image of whiskers. As many as 30 “whiskers’ grow from each flower, evoking a cat-like visage. 

Oddly, it’s not really known why the flower looks this way. One theory is that thread-like bracteoles may aid in photosynthesis in low-light environments. 

Before heading out to pick up a black bat flower from your garden center, you may want to call first. While these flowers have become increasingly popular in the United States, they are still somewhat of a specialty item.

Due to their thematic overlap, plant nurseries tend to carry more of them as Halloween nears. However, they’ll also be closer to the end of their blooming season, which typically takes place from late spring through early fall.

That said, depending on its care and location, it may bloom as many as eight times in a single season.

Finally, while this post is specifically about the bat flower in black, it also comes in a white variety. If you’re in search of a flower with a slightly more ethereal vibe, the white bat flower is an excellent choice.

Where Do Black Bat Flowers Grow Best Outdoors?

Black bat flowers are native to southern China and tend to prefer environments similar to that region. That is, areas with lots of humidity and warmth.

In the United States, the plant is best grown in USDA Hardiness Zone 11. Those living along the Gulf Coast or in parts of southern California will likely experience the most success growing the flower outside.

If you live in a dryer or colder area, you can still grow the flower inside. You should place it in an area that receives ample humidity and air circulation, such as in your kitchen or near your bathroom.

A humidifier or plant mister can also help keep the indoor air surrounding the plant abundant with moisture.

How to Plant and Care for Black Bat Flowers

We’ve highlighted low-maintenance flowers in the past. We mention that here because the black bat flower tends to require slightly more attention and care than other plants.

That shouldn’t dissuade you, however. With a little bit of knowledge and tending, you can keep your flower blooming and serving as a conversation starter all season long.

When kept outside, these flowers generally need four things (besides the aforementioned humidity):

• Warm temperatures
• Bright, indirect light
• Good air circulation
• Rich, well-draining soil

The north side of your house or property will often provide enough light without ever centering it in a sunbeam. If you’ve already started to grow a tropical garden, it should be well suited there.

In terms of soil, consider mixing in peat moss, pine bark, and other compost. This will help provide the nutrients necessary for growth while also aiding draining.

If you’re keeping the plant in a pot outside, use a potting medium that’s 50 percent soil, 40 percent peat moss/pine bark/compost, and 10 percent perlite or sand. A liquid fertilizer applied weekly can also nurture growth.

The soil also needs to stay moist. While you don’t want water to build up or flood, consistent watering with well-draining soil should provide the right moisture levels without causing root rot.

Regarding warmth, black bat flowers can die if temperatures dip below 55 degrees Fahrenheit. Ideally, the thermometer should hover somewhere between 70 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit.

So, when evenings start to cool off, make sure to bring your flowers inside.

Additional Black Bat Flower Care Tips

While planting and caring for black bat flowers can require you to pay more attention than other plants, there are a few things you won’t need to worry about. 

Namely, the plant doesn’t seem susceptible to many pests or forms of disease. If left outside, the primary concern is snails and slugs.

If your flower is pot-bound, you can help keep the soil suitably moist by placing it on a saucer. Extraneous water can drain out into the sauce and either be reabsorbed back into the soil as needed or evaporated into the air to keep the area moist.

To propagate a black bat flower, you have a few different options. If you wait until the seed pod matures and splits open, you can take the seeds, allow them to dry fully, and then plant.

You can also propagate them from a tuberous root or rhizome cutting. Then, plant them three feet apart in your garden during your fall planting season.

When growing inside, try to repot the flower every year. They tend to prefer wide, shallow pots.

You can also move your black bat flowers outside during summer, as long as they are kept in the shade. Bring them back inside before temperatures drop into the low 60s and below.

Consider the Black Bat Flower this Fall

There are few flowers with as striking of an appearance as the black bat flower. While they require ample access to humid, warm, and well-circulated air, as well as moist soil, you are unlikely to find a flower that will spark more conversation among neighbors and guests.

So, if you truly want to take your Halloween decorations to the next level, consider a black bat flower this spooky season.