Sauromatum venosum (voodoo lily)

I purchased these tubers originally from Van Bourgondien's from their wholesale catalog back in 1978.  They were listed as tropical plants requiring zone 10.  I live in zone 7a but am not always very conscientious about bringing plants in to safety in October.  I was surprised the following spring to see them come back stronger with a few seedlings.  They've continued to come back every year since then.  They seed themselves and have multiplied into groups of 10 and 20.  I've given several away and yet have them coming back each year.  Some have apparently been spread by local critters and are coming up in remote corners of the yard.

The photo of this bed shows what happens when they aren't adequately fertilized.  This was an area of garden that was about to be buried under a new foundation.  Despite that, you can see how they spread and grew higher than the surrounding hostas.  It was the hostas that had hidden the infructescences for so many years.

Because of impending construction (enlarging my house and more importantly putting in the greenhouse), I had to dig up a bed of these Sauromatum.  I was pleased to see that despite the lack of fertilizer and general care, one of them had set a large infructescence.

Incidentally, this is my first attempt at shooting images against a blue velvet back drop.  If you have any suggestions for further improving the photography, please do contact me.

Next spring, I'll try to get photos of an inflorescence.