Titan Arum Livestream

Titan Arum Livestream

The APSU greenhouse currently houses two titan arum plants. One of them is growing rapidly now, having resprouted from a 50 lb. underground corm. In the near future we will find out if it is developing into a leaf or a “flower”!

Titan Arum Flower

The titan arum (Amorphophallus titanum, or corpse flower) is a tall plant that takes 8-10 years to produce its first 6-8 foot stinky flower. The flower smells like rotting flesh and thus attracts flesh flies and carrion beetles, which accidentally pollinate it in its native rainforest habitat in Sumatra, Indonesia. The flower lasts only a day or two, and then the plant won’t bloom again for another 2-10 years. Most of the rest of its life cycle is spent as a huge leaf that looks like a small tree. APSU has two titan arum plants, and the bigger one is about 7-8 years old as of 2022. See this Chicago Botanical Garden link for a diagram of the plant’s life cycle and for other information: Click here

A picture of the larger Titan Arum Plant A picture of the smaller Titan Arum plant

Sprouting Progress, Spring 2022:

A picture of the Titan Arum plant as a 50lb dormant corm
Jan. 14, 2022: the 50 lb. dormant corm of the titan arum
A picture of the titan arum as a very small sprout
March 27
A picture of the titan arum as a sprout of 8.9 cm
April 13, ≈ 8.9 cm
A picture of the titan arum as a sprout of 14.6 cm
April 20, ≈ 14.6 cm (inches shown)
A picture of the titan arum as a sprout of 21 cm
April 29 (cm shown)
A picture of the titan arum as a sprout of 38.1 cm
May 10 (cm shown)
A picture of the titan arum as a sprout of 19 inches
May 13, = 19” (cm shown)
A picture of the titan arum as a sprout of 58 cm
May 15, = 58 cm (inches shown)
A picture of the titan arum as a sprout of 64 cm
May 17, = 64 cm (inches shown), growing 1.6” per day
A picture of the titan arum as a sprout of 67 cm
May 18, = 67 cm (inches shown)
A picture of the titan arum as a sprout of 74 cm
May 19, = 74 cm (inches shown), grew 2 ½ in one day!
A picture of the titan arum as a sprout of 82.5 cm
May 21, ~ 82.5 cm (inches shown)
A picture of the titan arum as a sprout of 95.5 cm
May 23, ~ 95.5 cm (inches shown)
A picture of the titan arum as a sprout of 104 cm
May 24, ~ 104 cm (inches shown), grew 3 inches in one day!