Ok so here’s Batlad’s journey so far (aka my batflower or Tacca chantieri)

First picture is not definitively Batlad but is a picture I took when I visited my then future workplace in late December (my mom actually awkwardly had me come to the end of season employee lunch for whatever reason so I met all my coworkers before I knew they would be my coworkers) and I assume they got the batflowers in on a pre-Christmas tropicals/houseplant shipment. They looked very good! No browning leaves, no drooping, in full flower.

About six months later in July, all the plants looked like that next picture in my car. Near death, essentially neglected, overfertilized, improper humidity, potbound, dying slowly. Our water is very alkaline and has high salts and Taccas just fuckin hate that. So the owner of the greenhouse gave me Batlad for free.

I repotted, removed some dead leaves, and he perked up within a few days. I think I probably potted too big and with the wrong media though. It stayed too wet too long. He did ok throughout the summer but mostly still got neglected. More leaves browned and by fall I was pretty sure he was going to die so nearly left him out through a frost... but decided last minute to repot and bring him in when I discovered a flower bud. Taccas bloom in fall into winter.

Please flower, the anticipation is too much