By Deutsche Welle
26 Sep 2023, 17:08 PM EDT
A rose by any other name might smell just as sweet, but when it comes to a Amorphophallus Titaniumno matter how much we disguise it, its smell will remain unmistakable.
Recently, at the Huntingdon Library near Los Angeles, there was the rare opportunity to witness the opening of the robust petals of this gigantic “corpse flower,” an event that only occurs every few years. And, as expected, its fragrance is as powerful as its appearance is impressive.
“It smells like rotting meat,” says Bryce Dunn, a gardener at the conservatory. “It’s trying to attract scavenger flies to come and pollinate it, so the more you can get that smell out, the more flies you’ll attract and the better the plant will do.”
ephemeral flowering
The flower, which is as tall as a human being, is actually a collection of hundreds of little flowers, both male and female, that open at slightly different times, and has been preparing for its moment of glory for about a month.
But like all the best floral delicacies – think of the delicate ephemerality of Japan’s famous cherry blossom, but stinky and smelling of dead things – you have to be quick to pick it.
“Once the flower opens, it disappears within 48 hours,” Dunn says. “So it’s a very, very ephemeral bloom, but quite spectacular.”
On Monday, visitors flocked to see the corpse flower in all its pungent glory. “It is such a rare event. “I think I am very lucky to be able to see her,” Diana Doo told AFP.
But to Paul Rulmohr, the name didn’t seem quite right. “I wouldn’t say it’s like a corpse,” he said. “It looks more like an urban container. But it’s okay… if that’s your thing.”
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