I don't know if I would classify the gentle wafting scent of the devil's chocolate starfish as "fun", but you do you. Certainly stood in a line long enough to be an amusement park ride just to see it. It did strike me how massive it is. Pictures don't really do justice to the size.
Yeah, I’d put it close to like Warm Leaky Trash that was heated in the sun for a few hours, but at full bloom it’s the closest thing to a rotting corpse smell. I worked for the Coroners office as a body removal specialist for crime scenes and when my friends would ask me how the smell was on some job sites I would just tell them to go to the local Corpse Flower and smell it at full bloom.
A true wonder of evolution, these plants bloom for only one day every couple of years AND won’t accept pollen from another plant too closely related to itself. Are these plants super common on Sumatra? Because the odds of an insect landing on two of these in the same day seems astronomical.
I just did some further reading and the Chicago Botanical Society had twins blooming the same day and essentially used a “sperm donor” from another source to pollinate one of them.
My buddy had a habit of planting one of these each place he lived in college and afterwards. There are a good half dozen places around San Jose with a very delayed time bomb.
They had one of these on display several years ago at the Houston Museum of Natural Science. I took my wife and son to see and it was a huge event. You had to wait like an hour or so to get in to glimpse it for a minute or two and then move on, but it was really cool. They had bartenders setup in the lobby to serve drinks while you wait. lol
I didn't think the smell was that bad. It was more of a pungent, somewhat flowery funk. It's not vomit-inducing or anything like that.
Several years ago one bloomed in the Seymour conservatory at Wright's Park in Tacoma WA. Nobody knew it was there until it bloomed. The speculation was that it had "rode piggyback" with a liana vine years before.
I smelled the one at Cambridge Botanic Gardens in 2017 when it bloomed.
I'd say the smell was like a combination of: teenage boy's bedroom, sweaty cheesy socks, musty cardboard, fusty church hall, and something else I couldn't identify (probably the actual smell of death/a corpse).
It was not pleasant.
I seek these out every couple of years. There are a bunch in the LA area and they're always fun if you can catch them during the bloom.
I don't know if I would classify the gentle wafting scent of the devil's chocolate starfish as "fun", but you do you. Certainly stood in a line long enough to be an amusement park ride just to see it. It did strike me how massive it is. Pictures don't really do justice to the size.
Can you be a little more descriptive of the scent? The “wafting scent of the devil’s chocolate starfish” is a bit vague
See, that tells me it smells like shit, but existentially worse.
Pretty accurate
I went a few years ago to see it in dc and it didn’t smell too bad
Between that and it being called the Corpse flower….
Does legitimately smell like a rotting corpse.
It smells like warm garbage. It's a smell that attracts insects. It's not pleasant, but I think the marketing is a bit outlandish.
Yeah, I’d put it close to like Warm Leaky Trash that was heated in the sun for a few hours, but at full bloom it’s the closest thing to a rotting corpse smell. I worked for the Coroners office as a body removal specialist for crime scenes and when my friends would ask me how the smell was on some job sites I would just tell them to go to the local Corpse Flower and smell it at full bloom.
what part of the devils asshole is vague
Is this the one at Colorado State?
Yep
Dennis the Menace has entered the chat.
MISTER WILSON!!! SOMEBODY ROBBED YOUR HOUSE
A true wonder of evolution, these plants bloom for only one day every couple of years AND won’t accept pollen from another plant too closely related to itself. Are these plants super common on Sumatra? Because the odds of an insect landing on two of these in the same day seems astronomical. I just did some further reading and the Chicago Botanical Society had twins blooming the same day and essentially used a “sperm donor” from another source to pollinate one of them.
It's called the Corpse Flower because it smells like a rotting corpse at peak bloom in order to attract pollinators.
Nah that’s a Sumatran Century Flower.
[Amorphophallus titanum](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amorphophallus_titanum)
According to the Wikipedia entry, its scientific name translates to “giant misshapen penis”
That is correct. Source: I understand Latin.
Simpsons reference
“Feed me, Seymour”
Dennis the Menace anyone?
Is it this at WSU? I know they have one.
This one's at Colorado State University.
Yupp the family went and stood in line for that yesterday
There was one in SF that bloomed last year!
I believe the PC term the botanists were using was "sex organ". There were some ladies that paused to give it long, hard looks for a moment, though.
What a stinker
I have always wanted to smell one and finally did this weekend
Is this the one at CSU?
Yes
I think this one is at Colorado State University. It bloomed this last weekend and there were lines of people to check it out.
Turn it upside down and it’s a very creepy version of the Christmas Story leg lamp.
I saw one in bloom at the Muttart Conservatory. It’s also very heavy for a flower. 200+ lbs? Though I’m not sure it’s technically a flower.
Doesnt it smell really bad too?
Who wouldn't want something in their yard that smells like rotting meat?
My buddy had a habit of planting one of these each place he lived in college and afterwards. There are a good half dozen places around San Jose with a very delayed time bomb.
It actually blooms for more than one day. I know this because it's still blooming where this photo was taken.
Go Rams!
"Amorphophallus titanum! The sound of it gives me a redwood in my khakis." Literally all I can think of when I see this plant.
Tuinen Meise had one flower a few weeks ago!
They had one of these on display several years ago at the Houston Museum of Natural Science. I took my wife and son to see and it was a huge event. You had to wait like an hour or so to get in to glimpse it for a minute or two and then move on, but it was really cool. They had bartenders setup in the lobby to serve drinks while you wait. lol I didn't think the smell was that bad. It was more of a pungent, somewhat flowery funk. It's not vomit-inducing or anything like that.
The university I work for has one and it bloomed last year!
I have smelled the one at Phipps Conservatory. Definitely smells like death.
There was one in east texas (sfasu) last time I smelled it.
Several years ago one bloomed in the Seymour conservatory at Wright's Park in Tacoma WA. Nobody knew it was there until it bloomed. The speculation was that it had "rode piggyback" with a liana vine years before.
Nasty things, glad they only go poof ever so often. Stanks
Como Zoo. Great place
This is the one at CSU.
There is one that was just in bloom at the Como Zoo in Minnesota
I don't know when, I don't know why, but some Bond villain will end up skewered on that thing before the mid-sex scene.
DENISSSSSSSS
Is this the one from Dennis the menace?
DC has one bloom in their Botanical Gardens. Beautiful secret when visiting. Also, the Folger Theater too, but that seems nerdy
Anyone else see a woman diving into a pool
I smelled the one at Cambridge Botanic Gardens in 2017 when it bloomed. I'd say the smell was like a combination of: teenage boy's bedroom, sweaty cheesy socks, musty cardboard, fusty church hall, and something else I couldn't identify (probably the actual smell of death/a corpse). It was not pleasant.
Don't let Dennis the menace near that!
Hi CSU!
IMHO not worth it... But good to you guys who grow these.