Germination temperature
Warm: a related Tacca germinated well at alternating 20-30 °C (68-86 °F).
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Tacca palmata is a shade-loving tropical perennial from Southeast Asia with deeply lobed leaves, violet-tinged flowers and bright red berries. Clean, soaked seed in a warm, humid tray gives the best start, but germination can be slow.
Warm: a related Tacca germinated well at alternating 20-30 °C (68-86 °F).
Shallow: cover with a thin layer of fine mix.
Highly variable in the genus, from about a week to several months.
Shade to semi-shade; no direct sun.
Wash off fruit pulp and soak for 24 hours.
Sow in pots or trays and grow on before planting out in shade.
Each red berry holds 11-20 brown, wrinkled seeds. If you have fresh fruit, wash all pulp off the seeds. In a Thai study on the related Tacca leontopetaloides, simply rinsing the seed raised germination from 67% to 89%.
Not needed. Tacca seed is not hard-coated.
Not needed. It is a wet-tropical plant. In the T. leontopetaloides test, a 14-day chill at 10 °C (50 °F) helped no more than soaking, so soaking is the simpler choice.
Recommended. Soaking for 24 hours in clean water at room temperature gave 95% germination and the best seedling growth in the T. leontopetaloides study.
Keep the tray warm. T. leontopetaloides seed was tested at alternating 20 °C (68 °F) nights and 30 °C (86 °F) days. In humid tropical India seed can be sown at room temperature; in cooler climates use a heated propagator.
Sow on the surface of a moist mix and cover with only a thin layer of fine mix, so the seed stays in contact with moisture.
Moist, well-drained, fertile mix with plenty of organic matter, such as leaf mould or compost with sand.
Evenly moist, with high humidity. Cover the tray with a clear lid but air it daily to prevent mould.
Bright shade. The plant naturally grows in the understorey and does not tolerate direct sun.
Expect great variation. T. leontopetaloides seed germinated within 8 days, while only 10% of T. chantrieri seed germinated in 22 weeks, partly because many seeds had no embryo. Keep trays for several months before discarding.
Pot seedlings individually once they have a true leaf and grow them on in shade. In warm, humid regions plant out into a shaded bed: prepare a hole about 50 x 50 x 50 cm (20 in), add drainage at the bottom and fill with fertile soil, peat or leaf mould and sand (2:1:1). Keep the crown at soil level and water in well.
Young plants form an underground, tuber-like rhizome and usually carry only one to three leaves at a time. Keep them in shade with steady moisture and high humidity.
Grow in containers in a greenhouse, conservatory or warm, bright room out of direct sun.
Cause: slow germination or empty seeds. Fix: wash and soak the seed, keep it warm and moist, and wait several months before discarding the tray.
Cause: direct sun. Fix: move to semi-shade or full shade.
Cause: waterlogged soil. Fix: use a free-draining, organic-rich mix and water moderately.
Cause: dry air. Fix: raise humidity and mist the leaves occasionally.
Cause: sucking and chewing insects. Fix: inspect leaf undersides regularly and remove pests by hand or with a gentle spray of water.
In the wild it grows in forest edges, teak forests and bamboo groves up to 1,000 m: shade, humidity and leafy, organic soil.
Top-dress with compost or leaf mould and give a dilute fertilizer for foliage plants during active growth.
Established plants can also be propagated by dividing the rhizome.
It may be toxic to cats and dogs; do not eat any part of the plant.
Sow Tacca palmata seed in a warm, shady spot for an unusual tropical foliage plant.
Yes. 'Takka' is a transliteration; the botanical name is Tacca palmata Blume, a relative of the bat flower (Tacca chantrieri).
It varies widely within the genus, from about a week to several months. Soaked, clean seed kept warm and moist gives the best chance.
In warm, humid regions, yes, in a shaded, well-drained bed. In dry or cold areas grow it in a pot in bright shade and keep humidity high.