Thank to everyone who visited and followed along with Uncle Fester’s journey.
Titan arum or corpse flower is the largest flower on earth and is notorious for unleashing the smell of rotten flesh when it blooms!
Our corpse flower, named Uncle Fester, began opening up on the evening of July 15 and fully opened overnight. The spathe started closing on the afternoon of July 15 and the spadix collapsed on July 19.
We've moved Uncle Fester off-site for the vegetative growth phase and will bring it back to the conservatory for the next bloom.
It was the first to bloom publicly in BC
Titan arum blooms are very rare and unpredictable. Most plants take seven to ten years to store enough energy to bloom for the first time. Our titan arum bloomed for the first time in July 2018 at approximately six years old.
The titan arum life cycle
The titan arum (Amorphophallus titanum) also known as corpse flower, is native to rainforests on the island of Sumatra, Indonesia. It has the largest known corm in the world. The corm can grow up to 200 pounds!
Each year, it produces a leaf, reaching up to 15 feet, to absorb energy from the sun. Once the corm has enough energy to produce a flower bud and attempt to reproduce, a visual event unfolds.
Its enormous flower spike, reaching up to 12 feet, is the largest flower structure in the plant kingdom. The flower spike is wrapped with a frilly, modified leaf called a spathe.
When the titan is ready to bloom, the spathe unfolds, exposing small flowers that bloom in rings around its base that release scent molecules to signal their readiness for fertilization.
Learn more about the titan arum life cycle by the Chicago Botanic Garden PDF file (3 MB)
Growth chart
| Date | Height (inches) |
|---|---|
| June 2 | 3" |
| June 6 | 6" |
| June 8 | 7" |
| June 10 | 8" |
| June 12 | 9" |
| June 15 | 11" |
| June 17 | 12" |
| June 20 | 14" |
| June 22 | 16" |
| June 24 | 18" |
| June 27 | 23" |
| June 29 | 28" |
| July 1 | 34" |
| July 2 | 37" |
| July 3 | 41" |
| July 4 | 45" |
| July 5 | 49" |
| July 6 | 53" |
| July 7 | 56" |
| July 9 | 63" |
| July 11 | 71" |
Why it's known as a corpse flower
When the titan arum blooms, it emits a powerful stench similar to rancid or rotten meat. The scent and the deep-red flesh colour of the open spathe, attracts pollinator insects that feed on dead animals.
During full bloom, the spadix self-heats to approximately human body temperature, which helps disseminate these odor particles.
Stay updated on the titan arum
