Corpse Flower ( Amorphophallus titanum)

The Amorphophallus titanum plant “Scentennial,” which produced its first flower in 2019, is at the end of its stinky bloom. 

The Titan Arum, Amorphophallus titanum, has been called the world’s largest flower, with a bloom that can grow to more than 8 feet in height and 4 feet in diameter. At the peak of its growth, the Titan Arum can grow up to 6 inches a day! It is a rare tropical plant native to the equatorial rainforests of Sumatra, Indonesia. When in flower, it exudes a foul stench that smells like rotting meat. For that reason, Indonesians call it Bunga Bangkai, which means “Corpse Flower.” The plant grows from a large corm, a bulb-like tuber, under the soil. The visible parts are the spadix (the fleshy upright column) and the spathe (the petal-like outer covering). When the plant blooms, the spathe opens to reveal a velvety maroon interior and begins to emit a foul stench, earning it the nickname “Stinky Plant.” Though everyone smells something different, the scent is made up of several different compounds: primarily dimethyl trisulfide (stinky cheese or boiled cabbage) and dimethyl disulfide (garlic), but also levels of trimethylamine (rotting fish), isovaleric acid (sweaty socks), benzyl alcohol (sweet flowery scent), and indole.⁣⁣ The purpose of the putrid stench? To attract nighttime pollinators like flesh flies, carrion beetles, and sweat bees. ⁣

In August 1999, a Corpse Flower bloomed for the first time at The Huntington. This rare occurrence provided an opportunity for hundreds of visitors to witness one of the wonders of the botanical world. Since that extraordinary event, The Huntington has shared the flowering of this rare species with the public in seven subsequent years. Currently, we maintain several dozen plants of Amorphophallus titanum in our greenhouses and planted in the Conservatory. 

Leave a Comment