The Largest Flower in the World

The titan arum is special for two reasons. First, it's considered the largest unbranched flower on earth. Second, it smells terrible.

According to the U.S. Botanic Garden, the corpse-like smell attracts pollinating insects:

The magic of the titan arum comes from its great size - it is reputed to have the largest known unbranched inflorescence in the plant kingdom. When it went on display, the plant was around four feet tall. By the time the titan arum bloomed, it had grown to eight feet! Referred to as the corpse flower or stinky plant, its putrid smell is most potent during peak bloom at night into the early morning. The odor is often compared to the stench of rotting flesh. The inflorescence also generates heat, which allows the stench to travel further. This combination of heat and smell efficiently attracts pollinators, such as dung and carrion beetles, from across long distances.

The titan arum does not have an annual blooming cycle. The titan arum emerges from, and stores energy in, a huge underground stem called a "corm." The plant blooms only when sufficient energy is accumulated, making time between flowering unpredictable, spanning from a few years to more than a decade. It requires very special conditions, including warm day and night temperatures and high humidity, making botanic gardens well suited to support this strange plant outside of its natural range.

This plant is native to the tropical rainforests of Sumatra, Indonesia, and first became known to western science in 1878. In its natural habitat, the titan arum can grow up to 12 feet tall. Public viewing of this unique plant has occurred a limited number of times in the United States. The U.S. Botanic Garden previously displayed blooming titan arums in 2003, 2005 and 2007. The Garden curently has 14 accessions of the titan arum, so we hope to have another plant bloom in the coming years.

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