Two corpse flower bloom almost at the same time; one blooms at the Chicago Botanic Garden in the US and the other at Adelaide Botanic Gardens in Australia. And it blooms for about 24 to 36 hours.
The Corpse flower or Titan Arum (Amorphophallus titanum) is known for its striking appearance, immense stature and pungent odor, which is said to resemble rotting flesh. The endangered plant only blooms every two to three years and can grow up to three meters tall, making it one of the biggest flowers in the world. It can take about 10 years to reach the size needed to support a bloom.
The Chicago Botanic Garden says it smells “a combination of dimethyl trisulfide, isovaleric acid, dimethyl disulfide, benzyl alcohol, indole, and trimethylamine.”
Botanic Gardens and State Herbarium of South Australia Director, Dr. Lucy Sutherland said the plant is notoriously difficult to propagate. But thanks to our horticultural staff’s dedication to developing successful growing techniques – and donations from the public – the conservation of this rare and important species is possible,” she said.
In previous years, thousands of visitors have queued to see the plant, which can grow to more than three meters tall in the wild.
Photo Credit: Adelaide Botanic Garden
