Native to Sumatra, the “corpse flower” — officially known as the amorphophallus titanium — is a flower of numerous mysteries. The flower starts as a tuber, lives most of its life as one big leaf, and then blooms into a rotting-flesh-smelling flower. Most corpse flowers only bloom two or 3 times in their lives, so its big news when one blooms. In botanical gardens around the country, the amorphophallus titanium flower is emerging in all its stinky glory.
Life cycle of a real corpse flower
For many reasons, a corpse flower is distinctive. The flower is very rare, and typically grows in Sumatra. The very pungent scent of the flower attracts not bees and birds but flies and beetles. Attracted by the strong smell of rotting flesh, these creatures pollinate the flowers. In greenhouses and botanical gardens around the country, amorphophallus titanium flowers are kept very carefully. Difficult to pollinate, these flowers generally bring in lots of crowds.
Trying to keep alive a corps flower
Very few gardens around the country sell amorphophallus titanium starts. Corpse flowers have to be pollinated with frozen pollen because they’re hard to pollinate. In Berkley, you can purchase a Titan arum start between $ 35 and $ 50. It’s not much of a beginning cost, but these flowers are very touchy. There is just one leaf for most of the cycle. The flower only blooms a couple times and smells awful. If you desperately want one of these liver-colored, stinky plants, you might want to build an addition to your sun room.
Less stinky, but just as cool
If you’re interested in wicked plants like the corpse flower but do not want to risk having to spend a huge amount of money to get the rotting flesh smell out of your clothes, you do have other possibilities. The wicked plants also go beyond the Venus fly trap. You will find bushes that shoot poison spines, trees that leave a rash or even your classic wicked plant which is a hemlock.
