Tacca chantrieri, the black bat flower, is a species of flowering plant in the sweet potato family Dioscoreaceae. Tacca chantrieri is an unusual plant in that it has black flowers. These flowers are shaped somewhat like bats, up to 12 inches in diameter, and have long “whiskers” that can grow up to 28 inches long. There are ten species in the genus Tacca.

One of these, T. integrifolia, is commonly known as the “white bat tree”. T. integrifolia is similar to T. chantrieri, but has white bracts with purple veins. T. integrifolia is larger than T. chantrieri, growing up to 4 feet tall (nearly twice the size of T. chantrieri at 24″-36″).

Tacca chantrierei is native to tropical regions of Southeast Asia including Thailand, Malaysia and southern China: especially Yunnan province. They are understory plants so they prefer shade (at least 60%).

They grow best in well-drained soil with good air circulation, but they like high humidity and need plenty of water. They tolerate temperatures above 4.5 °C (40 °F) in USDA zones 11.

Although it looks quite scary, bat flowers are a favorite flower of many people, they are often brought and planted in the garden.

However, this flower is also a bit demanding on climate. If proper planting techniques are applied, the tree will grow well.

This bat flower looks “a bit” like… the alien monster Predator!