Titan Arum or Corpse Flower
Amorphophallus titanum

Beginning May 27,2005, the San Francisco Conservatory of Flowers was host to the worlds largest and "stinkiest" flower. Nicknamed "Ted", the Amorphophallus titanum (commonly known as "Titan Arum" or "Corpse Flower") was on loan from the UC Davis Botanical Conservatory and expected to bloom over the Memorial Day weekend. Ted did indeed go into full bloom on Monday, May 30. The bloom is a little over four feet tall with a strong putrid odor. It was magnificent to see.

Information from the fact sheet distributed at the Conservatory of Flowers:

• Amorphophallus titanum is a native of Sumatra where it grows on the edge of forests.
• It is commonly known as the titan arum. In Sumatra it is called "Bunga Bakai" which means corpse flower.
• It is related to the calla lily and the imperial philodendron.
• The titan arum starts life as a seed, and produces a leaf and a tuber each year until it yields the plant kingdom's largest tuber. At maturity, the single giant leaf can reach up to 20 feet in height and width. The leaf provides the energy for the plant to produce a bloom which only occurs after 6-10 years. The "flower" is technically many smaller flowers that together create the plant world's largest reproductive structure that can grow up to 9 feet in height.
• The bloom actively emits a putrid odor and can become 20° F warmer than air temperature in the first two days to attract pollinators such as flies and carrion beetles.
• The bloom lasts only 3-4 days. If pollinated, it dies off immediately.
• Between flowerings (occurring every two years or so), the puts out a single leaf and goes dormant for 5 months.

About Ted:

• This specimen, nicknamed "Ted", is on loan from the UC Davis Botanical Conservatory.
• Ted is 10 years old.
• It has bloomed once before, at approximately the same time of year in 2003.
• The tuber of the plant weighed 43 pounds when it put out a bud on April 2, 2005.
• The bud has grown 2 1/2 inches per day.
• Ted's current bloom reached over 4 feet in height.
• The plants being grown at UC Davis were originally wild collected in Sumatra.

Links:

• Ted's bloom in 2003 at UC Davis
• Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden (Very fine information and photos on the Titan Arum)
• The Huntinton Botanical Gardens 1999 bloom.
• Cambridge University Botanic Garden 2004 bloom. (See a time lapse movie of the bloom.)