It’s not every day that a Corpse Flower (also known as ‘Amorphophallus titanum’, or ‘Bunga Bangkai’ in Indonesian) blooms. In fact, this momentous natural phenomenon hasn’t happened in the Harbour City for some 15 years. But that’s about to change, with the Royal Botanic Gardens of Sydney announcing that they have one that’s about to do the thing!
So, why does the blooming of a random flower have so many Sydneysiders on the edge of their seats? Well, aside from the fact that the Corpse Flower is bloody massive (it can grow up to three metres tall and weigh over 50 kilograms), and that they’re only supposed to bloom once every few years, the plant only flowers for just 24 hours – that’s not a very large window for a sticky-beek!
Oh yeah, and as the name might suggest, these strange floral marvels are known as the world’s smelliest plant. We’re not talking about a pleasant perfume scent here, the flower is renowned for emitting the smell of putrid, rotting flesh – it has also been compared to wet socks, hot cat food, and day-old vomit. (Who would want to miss out on a sniff of that!?)
Apparently, it’s tradition for Corpse Flowers to receive a nickname when they’re about to bloom. So, the team at Sydney's Botanic Gardens has officially dubbed this one “Putricia” – which is arguably perfect.
Furthermore, just to add to the Melbourne/Sydney rivalry (which is at an all-time high following Time Out's latest global city rankings) this rare phenomenon is also currently unfolding at a Melbourne Garden Centre, following a rare bloom in Geelong late last year.
How to watch the Corpse Flower bloom in Sydney
“It’s hard to predict exactly when the flowers will bloom. At the moment the spadix (the large pale spike in the centre of the plant) is growing fast. Once this growth spurt ends, the spathe (the crimson skirt that surrounds the spike) will start to open. That’s when the smell begins. The bloom could begin at any time,” a representative from the Botanic Gardens told Time Out Sydney.
Currently, the Corpse Flower is predicted to bloom between today (Thursday, January 16) and Monday, January 20. Once the spectacle begins, opening hours at the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney will be extended to midnight. Entry to the special event is by donation, and visitors are encouraged to plan their trip early, with large crowds expected to rock up over the short 24-hour blooming window.
Are you not able to make the viewing event in person? Not to fear, the Botanic Gardens just launched a 24-hour livestream of all the stinky inflorescent action over on YouTube (click here to watch live).
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The Corpse Flower is native to the rainforests of western Sumatra, and Sydney’s Botanic Garden is actually home to several of these endangered beauties in the Aroid Glasshouse, all at different stages of growth. The upcoming stink-fest marks the fifth time one has bloomed here, with various plants in the collection previously flowering in 2010, 2008, 2004 and twice in 2006.
You can find out more by watching an episode of the Botanic Gardens’ What the Flora!? series about saving the world's smelliest plant on YouTube, and keep an eye on @botanicsydney on Instagram for updates.
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