Many flower lovers have spent the weekend glued to their screens waiting for a flower to bloom…
Amorphophallus titanum (Corpse flower) has the biggest, smelliest flower-spike in the world, and it flowers for just 24 hours, once every few years – one is about to bloom at the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney and it’s being live-streamed.
Found only in the rainforests of western Sumatra, the rare and endangered Corpse Flower plant is renowned for the smell of putrid, rotting flesh that surround the flowers when it blooms.
Wet socks, cat food, rotting flesh
People have described the smell as like wet socks, hot cat food, or rotting possum flesh. But wouldn’t you like to find out for yourself?
There are several Corpse Flower plants in different stages of growth in the Aroid glasshouse in the nursery. Despite this, blooms are very rare, occurring for just 24 hours every few years. This will be the fifth time a Corpse Flower has bloomed at the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney, with various plants in our collection previously flowering in 2010, 2008, 2004 and a double bloom in 2006.
A few clues
A couple of weeks ago, horticulturalists working in the glasshouse noticed the initial clues that one might be entering the flowering stage. Daily measurements and close observation began, and due to vital information sharing from other botanic gardens across the world about Amorphophallus titanum blooming patterns, the team can now confirm that we are likely to have a stinky inflorescence in the next few days!
You can watch it live online on the Botanic Gardens of Sydney YouTube channel right now.
To visit in person. The plant is on display from 8am until 6pm (weather permitting) everyday from Friday 17 January 2025 in the Palm House at the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney until it starts blooming. Once the plant begins to bloom, we plan to open the display from 8am until midnight the following day.
It’s hard to predict exactly when the flowers will bloom. At the moment the spadix (the large pale spike in the centre of the plant) is growing fast. Once this growth spurt ends, the spathe (the crimson skirt that surrounds the spike) will start to open.
That’s when the smell begins.
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