During the coming days visitors to the botanical gardens in the Flemish Brabant municipality of Meise may have to hold their noses as the garden’s titan arum plant has started to bloom. The plant that is known for its pungent stench and phallus-like form grows to more than 2 metres in length.
The titan arum is a rare plant that only grows in the wild in the tropical forests on the Indonesian island of Sumatra. Literally translated, the name given to the plant by scientists means "malformed giant penis”.
When in bloom the plant emitted a pungent smell similar to rotten meat. The plant only remains in bloom for between 48 and 72 hours. In order to give as many people as possible the chance to see the plant, the botanical gardens will remain open today and tomorrow (6 and 7 August) until 9pm.
Those without a season ticket will be allowed into the gardens until 7.30pm. Season ticket holders will be allowed in until 8.30pm.
Those that miss out this week shouldn’t despair as the Botanical gardens expect a second titan arum plant to bloom very soon.