Main Narrative » Arums

Corpse Flower

By Nicole Tarnowsky

Feb 1 2019

Another famous plant in the Araceae family is the Titan Arum or Corpse Flower, Amorphophallus titanum (Becc.) Becc. 

The spadix (inflorescence) is the tallest of all flowering plants, reaching 6-8 ft. in height. The flower emits an odor mimicking a rotting animal, which attracts flies to pollinate the flowers.

They can take over ten years to flower—this one flowered in our Conservatory in 2016, attracting thousands of visitors to the Garden in just three days. To commemorate, this was the 3 millionth specimen added to our virtual herbarium.