Titan Arum - Corpse Flower
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The Museum's Corpse Flower (Amorphophallus titanum) is native to the rain forests of the Indonesian island of Sumatra. The plant's giant tuber usually produces a leaf up to 20 feet tall. When conditions are right, it sends up a large "flower" that can reach heights of eight feet or more. The flower (technically a cluster of flowers) emits a putrid odor of rotting flesh to attract pollinators during the two days it is open.
Our plant is an offset of a plant grown from a seed obtained by the Museum in August, 2002. The seed was produced by the University of Wisconsin-Madison's "Big Bucky." At 6 ½ years old, it was anticipated that the plant might flower this year, but this did not become a certainty until January 4, 2010.
The titan arum, when in bloom, is on display in the Museum's Puelicher Butterfly Wing, on the first floor.