A giant arum also known as the penis or corpse plant is once again in bloom at the Botanical Garden in Meise (Flemish Brabant). This time, it is a baby plant standing just 121 centimetres tall, the result of successful pollination some nine years ago.
Baby giant penis plant blooms at Meise Botanical Garden for first time after successful pollination in 2017
Colin Clapson
Published:
The Meise Botanical Garden has another first to celebrate. For the first time, a giant arum is flowering after having been pollinated at the garden itself. That happened in 2017, when two giant arums were in bloom at the same time.
“It is the first time that we at the Meise Botanical Garden have successfully completed the entire cycle, from pollination to full flowering,” officials at the garden proudly say.
A rare plant
It is good news, because the titan arum (Amorphophallus titanum), also known as the corpse or penis plant, has become a rare plant. The flower originates from the tropical rainforests of the Indonesian island of Sumatra. But as more and more tropical rainforest disappears, the titan arum is threatened with extinction in the wild.
However, in the Meise Botanical Garden, titan arums are regularly in bloom. The baby titan arum, for instance, is the 22nd specimen to be in bloom there. Interestingly, this small titan arum is only 1.21 metres tall, whilst the other specimens are over 3 metres tall.
A distinctive, not entirely pleasant scent
From today, you can admire the miniature version. You’ll have to be quick, though, as the giant arum lily only blooms for 48 to 72 hours. And don’t forget the distinctive scent the flower gives off – a smell that conjures up the image of rotting flesh.