Hortus Botanicus Leiden, Netherlands

Common name: Sumatraanse reuzenaronskelk, Titan Arum, Arum titan

Family: Araceae (Arum family)

Distribution: Sumatera

IUCN Red list: Endangered

Life form: Perennial

Comments: The titan arum is famous and notorious for its huge inflorescence of up to 2 metres tall, which emits a foul odour. This species is native to the rain forests of Western Sumatra, where it grows in shadowy soil that is rich in humus. In the wild, the plant is pollinated by flies, hence the flower’s colour and odour.
When it flowers, a fleshy flower-bearing stem (spadix) appears, which is surrounded by a sheath-like bract (spathe) that opens after a few days. The name Amorphophallus is derived from the fleshy stem; it literally means “misshapen penis”.
After flowering, one single gigantic compound leaf of around 4 metres tall emerges from a huge underground corm (up to 90 kg); the leaf resembles a small tree. After growing for about a year the leaf dies back and the plant becomes dormant for a few months. After this, the cycle will be repeated.
Amorphophallus titanum was discovered in 1878 by Odoardo Beccari and was cultivated soon after its discovery, at first in Florence.

Timelapse of the bloom

Audiotour (Dutch)

Audiotour (English)