Rare Titan Arum About to Bloom at Harvard for the First Time

An exotic Indonesian plant may well bloom into a flower more than six feet tall in the next few days.

The titan arum on June 30
July 1
July 2
July 3
July 4
July 5
July 7
July 8
July 9
July 10

A rare titan arum (Amorphophallus titanum), housed in the greenhouse used by Harvard’s department of organismic and evolutionary biology, is set to bloom in the next few days, resulting in a flower possibly six feet tall. The Indonesian rainforest species is sometimes known as the carrion flower or "corpse plant," due to its fetid odor, which resembles that of decomposing meat. Although in full bloom it appears as an enormous flower, it is actually an inflorescence of hundreds of tiny flowers hidden behind a huge, petal-like structure at the base of an enormous stalk. The inflorescence lasts only a few days, after which it collapses; it can take up to five years before the plant flowers again. Indigenous only to the rainforests of Sumatra, the titan arum is cultivated in botanic gardens across the world. In July 2008, one of the species flowered at Smith College.

Although the greenhouse is not open to the public, Doug Goldman, the Harvard University Herbaria associate who brought the story to the magazine's attention, will be providing updated photos in the days to come. 

 

You might also like

Five Questions with Professor Peter Der Manuelian

Harvard professor of Egyptology on unsolved mysteries, cats, and the beauty of ancient craftsmanship.

“A Game of Inches”

Harvard women’s basketball prepares for its rematch with Columbia. 

Nieman Foundation Leader Departs

Ann Marie Lipinski led the organization through a time of unprecedented change for journalism.

Most popular

The Green Star State

Cheap renewable energy could position Texas to become a major producer of clean hydrogen fuel.

Safe Streets

Working to curb road deaths

Social Media Use and Adult Depression

A survey reveals suprising links between social media use and depression in adults.

Explore More From Current Issue

Is Gambling Becoming a Public Health Crisis?

Responding to the explosive growth of online gambling and sports betting, a new report urges governments to regulate with public health in mind.

The New Boston Athenaeum

Find “the joy of discovery and power of this unique place.”

A Contentious Era for U.S. Higher Education

President emeritus Neil L. Rudenstine on changes in the academy and society that made universities more contentious—and diminished support for humane learning