We needed it. I sat here in the evenings, because I was here late every night, and when I looked out over that and saw people dancing, I was like, “Wow.” I was texting my friends and family and telling them what joy it brought. To think that I could do that with a plant, I mean, talk about incredible.
— Joyce Rondinella, senior horticulturist at Longwood Gardens, on Sprout, the titan arum that bloomed there last month. Read more in What It’s Like to Care for the Mighty ‘Corpse Flower’ at Atlas Obscura.
wow!
titan arums are fantastical, and smell exactly like the package of raw chicken that got lost at the back of the fridge until well past its sell by date 😛
especially nowadays, we need these small (large?) successes and surprises to bring people together (apart?) 😀
Agree, although I have still never seen or smelled one, and this one bloomed 5 miles from my house and I would not go because of covid…still enjoy the idea of it 🙂
Many days behind reading the articles posted here, but I loved this interview. Joyce seems like a cool person and her passion for plants is obvious. I am still bummed I got so close to smelling and seeing a corpse flower in bloom last year, but by the time we got there the flower had closed up. Next time! It was still impressive to be right next to that enormous and bizarre plant.
Oh drat! Well then we both had close calls, and hope we both get to smell the whole enchilada soon.