Two corpse flowers or Titan arum are gaining the crowd's attention in California due to their unpredictable displays and putrid stench of rotting flesh.
Stinky Yet Attractive Flowers
One of the corpse flowers is blooming at San Francisco's Conservatory of Flowers, while the other is displayed at the San Diego Botanic Gardens. The corpse flower in the Conservatory is Scarlet and stands tall for the sightseers in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park. It bloomed again this week after its last flower was displayed in 2019.
Meanwhile, the corpse flower in San Diego last bloomed in 2021, and its new flower is noticeably more dried up after appearing this week. This is because corpse flower blooms last only a few days with brief, shining, and stinky moments.
The unpredictable and rare blooms of corpse flowers attract thousands of visitors hoping to experience both the splendid sight and the disgusting stench.
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What are Corpse Flowers Named that Way?
Titan arum or Amorphophallus titanum refers to a huge flowering plant related to the calla lily. It holds the record for being the largest unbranched inflorescence or the collection of flowers acting as one. Every one to two years, it blooms a flower that can grow up to 8 feet tall but can only last for two to three days.
Considered one of the smelliest plants on Earth, the corpse flower is characterized by a large spike in the middle surrounded by a frilly maroon skirt of a leaf. It was given its distinctive name because the male and female flowers at the base of its large central spike release an unpleasant odor resembling rotting meat and stinky laundry. This putrid smell gets stronger during its peak bloom at night until early morning.
Corpse flowers have evolved to smell this way for pollination purposes. Some insects are attracted to the smell of rotting flesh or other fetid odors. The corpse flower utilizes this approach of drawing a bunch of insects who love the scent that humans find repulsive. The plant's inflorescence generates heat, allowing its stinky odor to travel further. The combined heat and smell effectively lure pollinators from across long distances.
The stinky plant has a long and unpredictable flowering cycle, which can take up to a decade before it blooms its flower for the first time. Even mature plants can take years before yielding blossoms. They seem to work on their schedules, which makes it more exciting for the viewers.
Corpse flowers used to grow only in the tropical rainforests of the Indonesian island of Sumatra and became known to the scientific community in 1878. While in its natural habitat, the corpse flower can grow as high as 12 feet. They have become more difficult to discover in the wild lately due to deforestation and land degradation. Technological advances and horticultural knowledge recently allowed widescale cultivation of the corpse flower in botanical gardens, which plays a significant role in conserving this plant species.
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