‘Corpse' flower blooming at UNC Charlotte

CHARLOTTE — The Botanical Gardens at UNC Charlotte says one of their rare “corpse” flowers is blooming.

The Indonesian Titan Arum is not only famous for its size but its smell, which has been compared to rotting flesh.

Experts say in the wild, the odor can carry up to a half mile. The bloom only last two days.

UNCC says "Rotney" is the the “twin” of its collection’s "Odie" that bloomed in 2015.

The Botanical Gardens has set up a web camera so people can check in on its progress.

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3 Things to Know about the Corpse Flower

1. Where does the Titan Arum come from? The Titan Arum grows in the moist, shady jungles of Sumatra, Indonesia.

2. What a weird-looking flower – is it really the largest flower in the world? The Titan Arum produces the largest unbranched, inflorescence in the world. The largest of these recorded in cultivation was over 9.5 feet tall. An inflorescence is a structure containing multiple flowers. The Titan Arum bears a special type of inflorescence that looks like one gigantic flower. 

3. Does it really smell that bad? Yes, but not for long. The plant produces waves of odor that have been variously described as smelling of rotting animal, dung, and rancid cheese. The Indonesian name for the Titan translates as "corpse flower."

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