All you Corpse Flower lovers, attention! The amorphophallus titanum titan arum or stinky plant as we love to call it here is in bud once again at UConn's greenhouse on their Storrs, CT campus. I have a pic of the 2004 blooming in the plant files. One of the ones they have at Kew in England just bloomed Sunday. My friend saw it last week in London and sent me this picture when she got back this week. This picture is by N. Sayles.
time to get excited!
Martha
Thanks for the tip Martha. Do you have any idea how long it blooms for?
How many will fit in an Earthbox?
LOL The bulb weighs something like 60-70 pounds. You would need a very large earthbox! Bloom is over and done in about 48 hours. The stinky smell is released immediately and fades quickly. The actual flower parts are down at the base of the spathe and in order to pollinate them, they cut a hole in the big petal. We watched the UConn one on a webcam they had set up at the time and we saw it the next day after it bloomed. My friend took the picture above last week and this flower bloomed last Sunday.
Martha
Oh well...have to catch it in a couple years when it blooms again. My BIL is a UCONN alumni, he would have enjoyed this.
UCONN has another Amorphophallus.
Amorphophallus konjac: Devil's tongue:
http://florawww.eeb.uconn.edu/acc_num/198500882.html
Looks similiar but one might fit in an earthbox. And this one doesn't stink, it is edible. UCONN says the Glucomannan in Devil's Tongue " may be responsible for weight reduction and reducing cholesterol in those who have high cholesterol. It is eaten in Japan to clean the digestive tract of toxins."
Soooo glad DG does not have smell mail!
They also have several voodoo lilies as well. They were all being aired outside the greenhouse the day we were there.
Martha
WOW! Little Shop of Horrors! That is amazing, I thought my frittilaria Persica coming out of the soil were alien-like!
Thanks for sharing. I love this site! Have you been to Bartlett Arboretum in Stamford? Wonderful place for a spring nature walk and you can bring your dog. Cheers! Abby
hmmm. no I haven't. My hubby has to go to CT every once in a while to meet at the main office of his company. Maybe next time, i will dump him off in the morning and pick him up when the plant closes while I check out some CT garden sites!
Martha
Hi Abby. Welcome!
Martha, if you are in CT, let me know. Maybe we can go exploring.
Thanks Dave! Sometimes he goes down there by himself and sometimes with a party of fellow engineers from his department. I am not sure when this might be and I don't think I can make it until at least June.
Martha
