What is the Amorphophallus Titanum?

The Amorphophallus Titanum is the largest unbranched inflorescence in the world typically 6-8 feet tall. It emits a foul odor of rotting animal flesh, thus the common name of the corpse flower. The plant also produces the largest leaf in the world reaching up to 20 feet high. It grows on steep hillsides in the tropical rainforests of Sumatra, Indonesia. The Indonesian name for titan arum is Bunga Bankai, which translates to “corpse flower” in English. Already uncommon in the wild, the Amorphophallus Titanum native habitats are rapidly being destroyed primarily due to deforestation for agricultural use to feed a growing population. The seed grows into a small leaf with an underground tuber, similar to a potato. After a year, the leaf dies back and the plant goes into dormancy for months. The plant goes through years of these dormancy and leaf cycles. Meanwhile, sugars made in the leaf are transported back to the tuber, which continues to grow larger. Finally, 7-10 years later, the plant has stored enough energy to bloom. The inflorescence takes about a month to mature and is only open and pungent for two days before the spadix withers and collapses.

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