South Australia's stinkiest flower is about to bloom. Here are 9 fragrant facts about this putrid plant!

Get your nose pegs ready, the titan arum (Amorphophallus titanum) commonly known as the corpse flower, is set to bloom in the Bicentennial Conservatory at Adelaide Botanic Garden very soon.

Standing at about 1.5m tall, and affectionately known by staff as "Smellanie", the bloom reflects a significant milestone in a plant conservation journey that began two decades ago.

This is the second time this particular plant has bloomed, with the last time coming in 2021.

"We received a donation of three seeds in 2006, and from that small starting point, have grown a collection of around 250 Titan Arum plants," Botanic Gardens and State Herbarium of SA Horticultural Curator Matt Coulter said.

“Approximately 100 have been propagated from leaf cuttings and 150 through cross-pollination, in addition to the original three plants," Mr Coulter said.

"This bloom has emerged from a tuber generated by one of  those original seeds and marks the second time this particular plant has flowered, following its last bloom in 2021," he said.

If you’re keen to catch a whiff of the plant’s stench – which can be likened to the smell of rotting flesh – keep an eye on the Adelaide Botanic Garden’s Facebook page for updates as the plant will only flower for 48 hours.

Here are 9 facts about this this fascinating flower provided by Matt, who reflects on the blooming of the first corpse flower at the Mount Lofty Botanic Garden back in 2016.

1. Flower

It’s extremely hard to tell if a titan arum is going to flower as the inflorescence (a group of flowers) and leaf bud have very similar characteristics. It was just two weeks before full flowering that we knew we had South Australia’s first corpse flower on the way. This exciting event allowed us to make important observations about what to look for next time. Although the titan arum looks like one huge flower, it is actually an inflorescence or cluster of flowers. These smaller flowers are located inside the base of the spathe (burgundy upturned skirt).

2. Growth

At its fastest, the titan arum grows between 15cm-18cm a day for a period of around a week. When it stops growing the spathe starts to open. The plant has very particular growth patterns and our titan arum followed these exactly as the literature described.

3. Speed

The spathe stays firmly shut until the spadix (giant yellow spike) stops growing. Once the spathe starts to open it does so rapidly over a four hour period. It’s incredible how quickly this happens, you can see it opening in front of your eyes. For us, it was exactly eight weeks between the first sign of the bud becoming active and full flowering of the inflorescence.

4. Size

Our first corpse flower was 1.96m tall. If you classify the whole structure as a flower, the titan arum has the largest flower of any plant in the world.

5. Smell

The plant starts to smell when liquid oozes from its spathe. This is also a sign that the spathe is about to open. The foul odour is produced overnight, particularly on the first night, and ceases during the day. When we opened the glasshouse the first morning after flowering the smell was extremely intense.

The titan arum manufactures its aroma, often likened to the smell of rotting flesh, to attract insects carrying pollen.

These insects are active at night which is why it stops producing its smell during the day.

The smell is present but less intense on the second night, when the plant is no longer active and starts releasing pollen rather than trying to attract insect pollinators.

6. Corm

The roots of the corm are also very interesting.

They have an annual cycle, like the plant, and are so strong that they’ve distorted or split pots on a number of occasions.

It’s also interesting to note that 90% of the roots protrude from the top of the corm where the plant bud grows.

7. Popularity

More than 5000 people flocked to Mount Lofty Botanic Garden in 2016, with visitors from as far afield as Queensland, New Zealand and Taiwan. While the titan arum is a flagship species for botanic gardens worldwide, we were amazed by the public and media interest it received from South Australia, Australia and around the globe.

8. Name

South Australia’s first corpse flower was named Indah which means beautiful in Indonesian. It’s really the perfect name as the titan arum is only found in Sumatra.

9. Propagation

The corpse flower is a notoriously difficult plant to propagate, but thanks to our horticultural staff’s dedication to developing successful growing techniques – and donations from the public – the conservation of this rare and important species is possible.

Corpse flower plants are propagated from leaf cuttings of our original specimens. Our aim is to have at least one plant flower annually so we can display it to the public.

This is something very few botanic gardens worldwide have been able to achieve.

Corpse flower: quick facts

When will it bloom? 
The timing of the flowering can be difficult to predict exactly, but it will likely be later this week, so keep an eye on the BGSH social media channels and website for updates on exactly when the bloom has started, and what the viewing opening hours are.

Where is it on display? 
It is in the Bicentennial Conservatory in Adelaide Botanic Garden. Visitors should enter via the Friends’ Gate on Plane Tree Drive and come prepared for queues and summer conditions.

How much will it cost to see it? 
On the first and second bloom day, entry to the conservatory will be free. However a suggested donation of $5 or $10 per adult helps support ongoing conservation work, and makes experiences like this possible.

Please note that the stunning Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition is currently on display  inside this conservatory. Wildlife Photographer is a ticketed event, but we recognise the very high community interest in the Titan Arum so entry to the conservatory will be free from the beginning of the bloom event and the entire second day of the bloom.

The Botanic Gardens of South Australia comprises three beautiful public gardens - Adelaide Botanic Garden in the city, Mount Lofty Botanic Garden in the Adelaide Hills and Wittunga Botanic Garden in suburban Blackwood. These gardens provide visitors with a range of cultural, recreational, educational and scientific facilities.

Are you planning to catch a whiff of the corpse flower in Adelaide Botanic Garden? Have you seen it in bloom in the past? Head to our Facebook page to let us know!