With the biggest inflorescence of any unbranched flowering plant in the world, the corpse flower, officially known as Amorphophallus titanium, is already an amazing thing to look at. Unfortunately, the other quality that makes the plant unique is the flower that gives it its name.
Putting off a strong scent of a rotting carcass that attracts flies and beetles to act as its pollinators, the corpse flower is also known as a carrion flower. So despite its gross smell, what is so special about a corpse flower?
So now that you know the gist of what a corpse flower is about, you may understand the rarity of what went on in August at the U.S. Botanic Garden in Washington D.C.. Unseen before in the United States, there were three corpse flowers in bloom at the same time.
The smell was without doubt unprecedented as one flower smells bad, but three must be terrible. The smell itself only lasts about 8 hours though, giving you a few hours to observe the flower without smelling it.
While the concept of the flower is a bit gross, it is incredibly fascinating and entirely unique. But unfortunately, due to its unusual nature, the plant is considered “vulnerable”. That means there are not many in the wild, but enough to sustain itself. The plant is native to Sumatra and Indonesia, so seeing it blooming freely in North America is an uncommon occurrence.
Botanic enthusiasts flocked to the garden to get a whiff of the buds and blooms and take in the giant flowers in person. Since the plants will not bloom again for years, it makes perfect sense that people who like the rarity would want to see it, however, I would hope that no one would love to really smell it.
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