‘Corpse flower’ attracts thousands in Australia to line up for the rare plant

Thousands Flock to Geelong Botanic Garden to Witness Rare Corpse Flower Bloom

In the Australian city of Geelong, just south of Melbourne, a unique and rare plant has drawn huge crowds eager to witness its blooming – and smell its putrid scent.

Known as the “corpse flower” or Amorphophallus Titanum, this plant releases a foul odor resembling that of a dead possum to attract pollinators like beetles and flies.

Blooming unpredictably, sometimes only once every decade, and with each bloom lasting just 24 to 48 hours, the event is highly anticipated and coveted by plant enthusiasts.

Gifted to the Geelong Botanic Garden in 2021 from the State Herbarium in Adelaide, South Australia, this particular corpse flower has been under close observation by horticulturalists for signs of blooming.

The plant finally began blooming on November 11, with around 5,000 visitors flocking to the garden on the first day alone to catch a glimpse and a whiff of the rare spectacle.

The Geelong Botanic Garden will remain open until the evening of Tuesday, providing visitors with the opportunity to witness the flower before it withers away.

For those unable to visit in person, a livestream of the corpse flower is available on the garden’s website, attracting viewers from around the globe.

As the plant goes through its blooming stages, visitors have been returning multiple times to witness its transformation, from the unfurling of the leaf around the central spadix to the eventual closing up of the flower.

The Titan Arum, native to Indonesia and listed as endangered, has seen its population decline due to habitat destruction from deforestation and land conversion for agricultural purposes.

With only a few hundred plants left in the wild, efforts to conserve and protect the species are crucial, with botanic gardens worldwide playing a significant role in their preservation.

One such garden in California, known as “Darth Vapor” by public vote, is among the many institutions growing the corpse flower to support conservation efforts.