Flower enthusiasts and flower-curious alike, it’s that time of the year again – the Adelaide Botanic Gardens’ Corpse Flower is on the brink of spreading its mammoth petals and releasing its stinky scent.
The Corpse Flower or Titan Arum (amorphophallus titanum) gets its name from the truly revolting ‘perfume’ that is released once it reaches its peak bloom – a smell which is best described as rotting flesh.
The once rare and endangered Indonesian beauty gives off the foul odour in order to attract pollinators to its marvellous flower. The Corpse Flower is starting off 2023 with no hesitation it seems.
The plant which resides inside the Bicentennial Conservatory at the Adelaide Botanic Gardens has been propagated using leaf cuttings of an already established Corpse Flower plant. As a result, this plant in particular will produce a smaller but no less smelly flower than previous years.
As all things in nature, the timing of the flowering event can be tricky to gauge – so the Adelaide Botanic Gardens recommends keeping a weather eye on their socials for the stinky updates.
The rare Corpse Flower is free to witness when it reaches full bloom, with the most nauseating period occurring within the first 24 hours of flowering. Perhaps a mask wouldn’t go astray.