One of the world’s most dramatic and rarest flowers, the titan arum, has bloomed at the University of Warsaw Botanical Garden, drawing a massive crowd of curious onlookers eager to witness the fleeting spectacle. Known scientifically as Amorphophallus titanum and more commonly as the “corpse flower” for its distinct, pungent odor, the plant’s flowering is an event that occurs only once every few years.
The rare bloom, which began to unfurl in the early hours of a Tuesday, is only the second time this particular specimen has flowered in its lifetime. The university’s botanical garden, which had been closely monitoring the plant after a rapid growth spurt, announced the event on social media, prompting an immediate influx of visitors. To accommodate the public, the garden extended its opening hours and set up a livestream for those unable to visit in person.
Native to the equatorial rainforests of Sumatra, Indonesia, the titan arum is an endangered species. Its inflorescence—a cluster of flowers acting as one—is the largest unbranched inflorescence in the world and can grow to an impressive height of up to three meters (10 feet). This particular bloom at the University of Warsaw reached a height of over 1.8 meters (5 feet, 11 inches).
The flower’s infamous stench, often likened to the smell of rotting flesh, is a key part of its survival strategy. During its brief, 24- to 36-hour bloom, the plant actively heats up its central spire to the temperature of a human body. This heat helps to disperse the odor, which attracts its natural pollinators—carrion beetles and flesh flies—from long distances, tricking them into believing the plant is a food source or a place to lay eggs.
For botanists and conservationists, each bloom is a triumph. The cultivation of these rare plants in botanical gardens around the world is part of a global effort to preserve the species’ genetic diversity, which is threatened by deforestation and habitat loss in its native environment.
The University of Warsaw’s event is a powerful reminder of the delicate and fascinating wonders of the natural world, even those that require a nose plug to fully appreciate.
