The rare corpse flower of Sumatra flowering at Auckland Zoo. Photo / Alex Burton
One of the world’s rarest flowers with an unfortunate name and a pungent smell is blooming at Auckland Zoo.
Amorphophallus titanium - or the corpse flower of Sumatra - is the largest unbranched inflorescence in our planet’s plant kingdom.
It blooms for just two to three days and once fully opened emits a powerful stench like rotting flesh that quickly and effectively attracts pollinators.
Auckland Zoo said that while its home was the zoo’s Indonesian swamp forest, it has been moved to a place where all visitors could view it.
“If you’re keen to come and experience this unique and stunning specimen (stands over 6 feet tall in its pot) – we have it on display in the undercover shelter at our South East Asia Jungle Track’s high canopy habitat.
“We can’t guarantee how long it’s going to bloom for as individual specimens can vary.”
When another corpse flower fully bloomed in Auckland Domain Wintergarden in 2013, Auckland Council described the stench as “rotting flesh”.
Auckland Domain manager David Millward said in 2013, “The titan arum, as it’s commonly known, can produce a single leaf the size of a small tree every year for seven to 10 years before showing any signs of producing a flower”.
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