'Corpse flower' Sumatran Titan blooms in Warsaw, drawing large crowds

A Sumatran Titan arum, that is also known as ‘corpse flower’, went into a rare and short bloom recently at a botanical garden in Warsaw, drawing large crowds who waited for the house to get a glimpse.

The endangered Sumatran Titan arum may seem like a prop or a decorative flower from the sets of a film or a play, however, it is actually a giant and foul-smelling flower.

The flower is known for emitting a dead-body odour to attract pollinating insects that feed on flesh. The one in Warsaw bloomed on Sunday but started withering the next day. The flower, according to some reports blooms after 40 years.

Hundreds of people queued up on Sunday evening and Monday morning at the conservatory to take pictures of the ‘corpse flower’. People who wanted to avoid the foul odour were able to watch the flower on a live video from the Warsaw University Botanical Gardens.

The plant, also known as Amorphophallus titanum, has the largest unbranched inflorescence in the world, which can measure up to 10 feet high.

The plant only grows in the wild and in the rainforests of Sumatra. However, it has now become endangered due to deforestation.

Amorphophallus titanum is native to western Sumatra, where it grows in openings in rainforests on limestone hills. But now, the plant is cultivated by botanical gardens and private collectors around the world to help its preservation.