It is one of the largest flowers in the world and gives off a beastly stench: the titanic arum will soon bloom for the first time in the botanical garden of the University of Vienna. The plant, whose Latin name Amorphophallus titanum means “gigantic deformed penis”, can be viewed from Monday.
The botanists assume that the inflorescence, which can reach more than three meters in height, will open in a week or two – but only for about two days.
Plant bloomed in Salzburg in 2019
The specimen of the plant from the aroid family has been growing in the Botanical Garden in Vienna since 2019. It comes from the Botanical Garden of the University of Salzburg, where it bloomed in 2019 with an inflorescence over two meters high. The huge tuber of the plant has doubled to 80 kilograms since moving to Vienna.
The bud is already a little over a meter high and the stock can already be seen at the top. The experts cannot yet predict exactly when the flower will open. During the short flowering period, they will conduct various studies, including into the pollination biology of the plant.
Smell of rotting corpses
The Titan Arum is native to Sumatra (Indonesia) and its huge inflorescence attracts small insects that serve as pollinators. The large bulb at the top of the inflorescence warms up and gives off a smell reminiscent of rotting carcasses.
The plant is closely related to the spotted aroid native to Austria, and houseplants such as philodendron or calla are also part of the arum family. In honor of the Viennese botanist and researcher of the arum family Heinrich Wilhelm Schott (1794 to 1865), the Viennese specimen of the plant was named “Willi”.
Can be admired daily in the botanical garden
From Monday, in good weather, the Titanarum can be seen daily from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the cold house of the botanical garden a few meters away. Once the plants start blooming, the whole cold house is open until 11pm, allowing visitors to see and smell the plant up close – especially in the evenings when it’s in full bloom.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
