For when it blooms – which experts predict should occur in the next few days – it will release not the fragrant scent of most flowers, but a revolting stench rather like rotting flesh.
And to make matters worse, two Arums are due to flower at the same time – a first in Kew Gardens’ 250-year history.
— Two Titan arums, aka corpse flower, are expected to bloom at Kew Gardens soon. Read more at Kew! What a giant pong - two of the world’s smelliest flowers are just about to bloom at Daily Mail.
That’s sort of how I feel about Tuberose… (laughing)
Ack…surely not as bad as all that!
LOL! I’m almost there with you. It’s one of the few notes that immediately put a scent on my “don’t even bother” list. Of course, I usually DO bother anyway, then wonder why I didn’t listen to myself.
Agreed! Why oh why do I keep trying with a note that I know that I don’t like??
I came down with a really bad stomach flu the same day that I tested a really strong Tuberose scent… now, I totally associate the scent with that feeling of being ill. When it really dominates and stands out, tuberose literally makes my stomach turn. I hope that this changes down the road.
Now Mimosa on the other hand, I like, but only as part of a larger composition.
Ditto on the mimosa too. Now I’m going to start stalking your comments to see if I have another sniffing proxy.
LOL —ah, you’re killing me! too funny, and yet, change ‘tuberose’ to ‘mimosa’ and I’ll agree most wholeheartedly! Although tuberose I and have ‘issues’ as well…
Very cool article. I might have to go find that series to watch. We love all things discovery channel, history channel etc.
I think there are a couple of different plants that have horrid smelling blooms – it’s because of the type of insect they’re trying to attract to pollinate it. Pretty amazing stuff.
These are really fascinating plants.
My housemate had a cactus that had a bloom that smelled like dirty socks. Fortunately it only bloomed once a year.
LOL!
How appropriate that I chose today to wear my Titan Arum t-shirt from the blooming of one at a near-by university this past summer! (http://www.eiu.edu/~biology/news/titan_arum.htm)
The smell of rotting meat could be detected a full four blocks away from that bloom when we went to see it. Two at once? WOOF.
Lucky you! Would love to smell one of these. Two might be more than I’d need to smell, LOL…
Isn’t that bizarre? Why the plant feels like blooming once in 250 or more years? Why so in a hurry, if she could stay flowerless for so long?
Maybe the smell is not as bad as they say.
I think it blooms every 7 or so years?
This is incredibly interesting…I have never smelled a flower that I thought was foul, but the Asian fruit, durian, smells like rotten eggs but tastes absolutely delicious!
That’s what I hear — have never had one!
When I lived in China, there was this large, spiky melon-like fruit that smelled so awful that we would go by it as quickly as possible. I never knew what it was called but that might be it.
Never did get around to eating it.
Just out of curiosity, it makes me wish I had visited our campus greenhouse when ours bloomed in 2002:
http://www.instadv.ucsb.edu/93106/2002/September23/rare.html
Though according to the story, it should have either bloomed again since then or will be again soon. I can’t believe it’s been seven years since I read that story! Where does time go??
Yes, sounds like it’s due for another bloom, assuming they’ve kept it alive!
It sounds like the vile things that fall off the ginkgo tree in my neighborhood every fall right by our elementary school. The first time I smelled it, I assumed some child had upchucked. Nature is curious!
Oh, yeah, gingko fruit STINKS. The university I work at has a couple of female gingko trees outside of the quad and you’re right, it does resemble the scent of vomit.
Still, the arum bloom smells like a dumpster full of rotting hamburger. It’s quite revolting and yet so interesting!
Yes, those are all over DC, I remember them well!
A few years back I was in SF’s Golden Gate Park in time for their Arum flower to bloom. The lines were terribly long, I took my mother in law, we were both so excited.
In the end, I missed the bloom by. one. day. Bummer..
Oh, what a shame! I would almost think the smell would have lingered in the air…
One of these flowers bloomed at the Univ of Minnesota biology dept a few years ago. They opened up the conservatory to the public and I naturally went over. Man, you have never smelled a stink like that!! Little kids holding their nose, some adults looked slightly ashen. You could smell the thing down the hallway, I felt sorry for anyone with a nearby office. If you’ve ever smelled a dead animal, even a mouse, magnify it 10 times and you have the idea.
Wow. You’ve nearly talked me out of wanting to smell it. Best on a cool day, maybe?