Cleveland Metroparks Zoo is anxiously awaiting the extremely rare blooming of its 16-year-old titan arum plant, which is one of the largest flowering plants in the world. The blooming, which lasts only about 24 hours, is expected to occur within the next seven days.
In full bloom, the titan arum will stand taller than most people, and it will emit an unforgettable odor that some have likened to rotting meat. Thus, its alternate name: Corpse Flower.
— Read the rest at A Corpse Flower is About to Bloom at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo.
I could go to Cleveland and smell the corpse flower… or I could just whip out my sample of Tubereuse Criminelle and take a whiff.
Kidding. At least a little bit kidding… please don’t pelt me with rotting raw chickens.
LOL!! C’mon though, even if you hate it, you don’t really think it smells like rotting meat? or do you?
I have to say, TC does remind me once of (squick warning, mayhaps) when I was invited by a friend to her family farm and they were harvesting chicken. Not INTENSELY like that but there’s definitely some blood in there. Not that it isn’t pretty amazing; that’s part of its “charm.”
Also, these flowers might be really rare but I think one blooms at least once a year, here. Wouldn’t surprise me if we had enough in the US to stagger their blooms.
Oh, there is way more than one a year blooming here…this is the 3rd I know of in the US for 2010, and I’m sure I miss some.
Wow, that IS a lot. xD
Yes, unfortunately, I really really do think it smells like rotting raw meat. Squick.
Ack! But hey, I asked 😉
I was appalled. I love tuberose, and I was expecting the “difficult” opening. I’ve suffered through some freaky openings with my vintage explorations. I did not have any trouble with the menthol and camphor angles at all – but the raw meat aspect just lingered throughout the Tuberose Central section, and I could not stand it. Wore it three times (maybe four), just to make sure it wasn’t a fluke, and every time I got enough rotting meat in the opening to ruin the rest of it. Gah.
I must say that you do make it sound quite disgusting!
Ever since I learned about this flower, I’ve wanted to start a band and call it “Titan Arum”. 🙂
I like “Corpse Flower” too, but it sounds a little too emo for me. lol
😀
Works for me!
Mals, finally I can lay to rest my lemming for TC. Thank you.
Can’t help but wonder if Christopher Brosius IHP will try to reinvent this in some strange incarnation so we can see/smell for ourselves what it’s really like. How on earth can a flower so pretty smell like a corpse?
Want what’s left of my TC sample? 🙂
Very funny! You’re the one I palmed off my CF on. I will never ever understand the allure of it. Body chemistry is so unique. I could put my 3 children in front of me w a blindfold on – and – them wearing no scent. I would know who was who instantly. Which tells me a lot.
ooh thanks for letting me know (I live in the Cleveland area)!
If you get to smell it, please report back!
Not the sort of flower one sends to a funeral eh? EEK, I am so sorry. maybe if you really disliked that person. I bought a bottle of Fleur D’ Privee which had turned, and I swear I thought it was going to draw flies. I know insects love this plant and it’s smell is how it gets pollinated. God is really creative isn’t he? And this reminds me just how neat and cool life really is.
One of these days, I’m going to be close enough to one of these things when it blooms to actually go and smell it. Even if it’s disgusting, it’s one of those things that you almost have to experience if you can, isn’t it?