One of the most popular attractions at Kew Gardens isn’t some rare flower or majestic palm. It’s a tropical plant that blooms for just a few short days, and releases a powerful smell of rotting meat when it does. It’s the titan arum – otherwise known as the “corpse flower” – and the Kew Gardens team of horticulturists estimates the first flower will release its distinctive stench into the Princess of Wales Conservatory, where it’s currently housed, in a matter of days.
“It’s really hard to tell exactly when a titan arum will flower and they always keep us guessing until the very last minute,” said Solene Dequiret, the Princess of Wales Conservatory manager, in a statement. “We have been looking after the plant for a few weeks now, and it is now growing at an incredible pace of about 8 centimetres a day.
“The bud now measures more than 2 metres 20 centimetres in height, so we’re all getting ready for the smelly spectacle to start.”
The pungent plant is native to the rainforests of Sumatra, Indonesia, and only matures into its full smelly glory once every few years. When it blooms, it’s only for a short time – around 48 to 72 hours. And while its unique aroma tends to hog all the attention, its inflorescence (flowering structure) is one of the largest in the world, growing to almost 3 metres in height. As for the smell? It’s an evolutionary trick, meant to attract flies and other pollinators (with a side benefit of deterring humans).
The soon-to-flower titan arum is just one in the garden’s collection of around 40. They each tend to flower at different times – though last year several of the smelly specimens bloomed one after the other. Kew Gardens has been home to corpse flowers for more than a century – its first bloom was in 1889, and the second, in 1926, was such a spectacular the police were called to keep crowds under control.
Kew Gardens is tracking the plant’s progress on its Instagram and Facebook accounts.
