Corpse Flower: Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is this plant called?

A: Scientific name: Amorphophallus titanum

Common names: Titan Arum, corpse flower, stinky plant

Q: Where is the corpse flower from?

A: This plant is native to the central portion of the island of Sumatra in Indonesia.  Other species of Amorphophallus are located throughout the old world from India to South Africa. .

Q: When will the corpse flower start to smell, and when is it the smelliest?

A: This bloom will have the most potent smell on the first night of its opening.  It secretes smelly chemicals out of the spadix, which is the tall solid green part in the middle of the bloom.  The smell then diminishes for another two-to-three days as the bloom withers.

Q: Why does the bloom smell as terrible as a corpse?

A: Plants make flowers to attract flying things such as insects to spread pollen from flower to flower. Many plants attract bees, butterflies and birds as their primary pollinators, and hence have flowers that are usually colorful and a nice fragrance.  The Amorphophallus titanium smells bad because its main pollinators are flies and carrion beetles, which feast on rotting materials that smell terrible to us but delicious to them.  The insects are deceived by the bloom because there is nothing for them to eat!

Q: Is this the largest flower in the world?

A: No, although the plant looks like a flower, it is a deception in several ways.  The bloom is actually composed of a large leaf that acts like a petal and a central stalk with many male and female flowers at its base.  The largest flower in the world, also native to Sumatra, is Rafflesia arnoldii, which also deceives insects with the smell of decay.

Q: How big does the corpse flower get in its natural habitat? 

In the wild, when growing in the ground these blooms can get up to 12 feet tall and 5 feet wide. In the leaf cycle, it can grow up to 20 feet high and 15 feet across. Talk about being a titan!

Q: How old does the corpse flower have to get before it starts blooming?

A: It takes about six-to-10 years for the underground stem, or corm, to store enough energy for blooming.

Q: How long does the bloom stay open?

A: The bloom collapses in three-to-five days depending on temperatures. Warmer temperatures cause the bloom to wilt faster. In addition, if the bloom is pollinated, it will close up on the second day.

Q: What happens after it blooms?

A: After being pollinated, the spath falls off and exposes the mature, orange-red fruits with seeds inside. The bright color probably attracts birds to eat the flesh and disperse seeds elsewhere. After several months of dormancy, the corm will send up a new leaf.

Q: How can I grow a corpse flower?

A: The grower must have a greenhouse that is at least 15 feet tall to accommodate the solitary leaves.  The grower must keep the air humid and warm like the tropical climate in Sumatra.  The flower also needs ample water and lots of sunlight throughout the year.  There is a least one other species which can be grown outside in Northern California known as Amorphophallus rivieri.

Q: Why is the stalk of the leaf spotted?

A: The stalk of the leaf can be light to dark green with white or creamy spots to blend in and camouflage with its tropical surroundings. 

Q: How can you tell the difference between a leaf and a flower bud?

A: The leaf bud is generally tall and slender while the flower bud emerges thicker and shorter.  The bulk of the spathe and the amount of developing male and female flowers in the growing bud accounts for its plumpness.

Q: Is this a leaf or a palm?

A: Although it looks like a trunk with leaves on top, the titan arums have a single, large compound leaf with three deeply lobed leaflets.  The petiole extends vertically from the underground corm.  The leaflets are oriented horizontally and radially around the end of the petiole.  From beneath, this contraption resembles a palm tree, but upon closer inspection, three large leaflets with amazing lobes can be seen.

Q: How rare is the corpse flower in Sumatra?

A: Their natural range is limited to a small portion of the island.  The plants are found about a mile apart in habitat.  The likelihood of two plants blooming at the same time near each other is low.  Add habitat destruction to that and you get a very uncommon plant. As of August 2004 less than 30 have flowered in the United States since the first flowering in 1937.  Most U.S. flowerings happened after 2000.

If there are any unanswered questions please e-mail Ernesto at planthead667@mac.com so that he may add these questions to the FAQ’s.

These FAQ’s were compiled by students Emerson Chen, Allan Rae and Curator Ernesto Sandoval.