The bat plant, also known as Tacca chantrieri or black bat flower, is an exotic and unusual plant that originates from tropical regions of Southeast Asia. This distinctive plant gets its name from its bizarre bat-shaped flowers with long, whisker-like bracts. While many people grow the bat plant for its ornamental value, it actually has a wide variety of uses. Here are some of the most popular ways this exotic plant is utilized.
Ornamental Purposes
One of the main reasons the bat plant has become so popular is for its dramatic, gothic appearance that adds intrigue to gardens and homes. The flowers are a deep black or purple color with almost hand-like bracts extending out like a bat’s wings. These strange blooms can grow over 12 inches wide demanding attention. The plant has an overall spooky look especially combined with its common name.
This makes the bat plant a fun choice for Halloween displays and gardens with a mystical theme It provides a talking point for visitors. The bat plant grows well in containers, allowing it to be featured as a striking houseplant It thrives in shady, humid areas, so works well in partially shaded garden beds. Wherever it’s placed, it lends an air of mystery.
Medicinal Uses
While the bat plant may look sinister, it has been used medicinally for centuries in its native regions. All parts of the plant, including the roots, leaves, and flowers, contain beneficial bioactive compounds. These include saponins, tannins, and flavonoids that have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial properties.
Traditional medical systems have utilized bat plant extracts to treat fevers, coughs, digestive issues, and pain. Current research shows promise for the plant’s antiviral, antifungal, and anticancer abilities. More studies are needed, but the bat plant has proven medicinal benefits.
Culinary Purposes
In Thailand and other parts of Southeast Asia, the starchy tubers of the bat plant are used as a food source. The taste is bland but becomes sweet when cooked. Bat plant tubers can be boiled, mashed, or roasted similar to potatoes. They are used to make desserts by mixing the cooked tubers with coconut milk and sugar.
Bat plant leaves are also edible when young and tender. They can be prepared as a leafy green vegetable. While not as widely consumed as the tubers, the leaves add nutritional value when cooked.
Cultural Significance
In addition to practical uses, the bat plant holds meaning in various Asian cultures. In Malaysia, it is considered a good luck symbol and placed on altars or incorporated into religious rituals. The plant represents prosperity and spiritual blessings.
However, in other cultures the bat plant is associated with death and used in funeral proceedings. This may be connected to bats representing rebirth in some legends. Regardless, the plant has cultural symbolism tied to its mystical appearance.
Wildlife Habitat
Growing bat plants isn’t just good for people – they also provide food and habitat for local ecosystems! Their flowers produce abundant nectar which attracts vital pollinators like bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. As the plant matures, birds and bats may nest in its leaves. Insects find shelter among the leaves and roots as well.
By planting bat plants, especially native varieties, you can increase biodiversity and support at-risk wildlife near your home. A garden full of bat plants has environmental benefits beyond looking cool!
Other Uses
Bat plant extracts have been traditionally used for dyes, resulting in a black-purple color. The fibrous leaves can be made into twine or rope. As an herbaceous perennial, bat plants help control erosion in tropical areas. They make striking cut flowers due to their unusual shape.
Versatile and Unique
While the bat plant may have an unsettling appearance, it is a versatile plant with many positives. Its dramatic look makes it perfect for ornamental use indoors and out. It has proven medicinal properties and edible parts. The bat plant holds cultural meaning and supports wildlife. For gardeners looking for something exotic that will get conversations going, the bat plant is a great choice!
A flower that fights cancer
Dr. Mooberry devised a research test to screen plants for anticancer capabilities. Her research has centered on the Bat Flower (Tacca chantrieri), a tropical plant that is cultivated for sale as an ornamental. This flower yields a class of compounds that effectively treat multiple-drug-resistant tumors. To date, the studies are in mice.
With support from the Office of Technology Commercialization at UT Health San Antonio, Dr. Mooberry is listed as co-inventor on two U.S. patents on the compounds. UT Health San Antonio last year granted Terrona LLC the exclusive worldwide license to bring the Bat Flower-based anticancer technology to market.
The compounds are called taccalonolides and have a similar mechanism of action as an existing group of cancer chemotherapy drugs called taxanes. Taxanes and taccalonolides stabilize microtubules, which are cellular structures that function as railroad tracks moving cargo within cells. Cancers co-opt these railroad tracks for their own rampant growth. Microtubule stabilizers stop the abnormal cargo movements, which stresses the cancer cell and causes it to die.
The taxanes, which include paclitaxel (Taxol), are billion-dollar chemotherapy drugs discovered about 40 years ago. They have their limits, as some patients either do not respond to them or become resistant over time.
In mouse models of cancer, the Bat Flower-derived taccalonolides overcome that resistance, Dr. Mooberry’s team found. Studies of the mechanisms that underlie this effectiveness are ongoing, she said. Study collaborator Robert Cichewicz, Ph.D., and a team of University of Oklahoma chemists are modifying the compounds for optimal therapeutic effect.
Terrona CEO Craig Dionne, Ph.D., said the science behind the taccalonolides is mature, and the studies also show that the taccalonolides cross the blood brain barrier, which prevents many drugs from passing from the blood into brain tissue.
“The ability for our lead candidate to cross the blood brain barrier is revolutionary, and it opens the door for drug development in areas where there is little current competition,” Dr. Dionne said.
Studies in breast, ovarian cancers
“We’ve tested the taccalonolide compounds against breast cancers primarily, but we’ve also seen their efficacy in ovarian cancers,” Dr. Mooberry said. “And because these compounds can cross the blood brain barrier, they may have potential to treat brain cancers.”
“Our goal is to be in clinical trials within two years,” said Amit Mehta, M.D., chief medical officer of Terrona LLC. “We have deep experience in executing on clinical trials with similar products and plan to use that to expedite helping as many patients as we can. We are confident that the taccalonolides will be beneficial for patients, and we know how to develop them in a timely and cost-efficient manner.”
Tacca Bat Plant Care – Paradise Distributors
FAQ
What is the use of bat plant?
What are the medicinal uses of black bat flower?
What are some interesting facts about the bat flower?
What does the bat plant symbolize?
What is a bat plant flower?
The bat plant flower is the most unique thing you will ever see with the bat wing-shaped flower that has black bracts growing across up to 12 inches. There are whiskers like filament growths on the flowers too that can be as long as 28 inches and add an interesting charm to plant looks.
Can a bat flower grow outside?
You can also put plants outside during the summer and move them back indoors once temperatures drop below 45 F. (7 C.). Take care to keep your bat flower away from direct sun as well. When growing this plant outside, plant it in the shade.
Why do herbalists use bat flowers?
Besides their obvious use as a conversation piece, herbalists use bat flowers (either the whole plant or only the root) to make medicines to alleviate digestive issues, dysentery, diarrhea, wounds, internal bleeding, and swelling.
What is the best environment for bat plants?
High humidity is the best environment for bat plants. Although this understory plant can tolerate lower humidity levels, it thrives best when the humidity is above 50%. High humidity is best – 60-90%. Misting can be good as dryness can cause yellow spots on the leaf surface and may result in the edges turning brown.