A Corpse Flower Can Grow Over 12 Feet (3.7 Meters) Tall

The Amorphophallus titanum plant blooms irregularly, making it an event that draws crowds in spite of the stench. Afriandi / Getty Images

Also known as titan arum or Amorphophallus titanum, the corpse flower is known for its rare blooms. This unique plant sometimes takes seven to 10 years before reaching full bloom. When it finally does, plant enthusiasts rush to see this extraordinary occurrence up close.

The corpse flower produces one of the largest flowers in the world. But it's also known for its terrible smell. The stench of rotting flesh is strong enough to attract pollinators from miles away.

Why does the corpse plant smell like rotting meat? Let's learn more about this unique plant.

Why Do Corpse Flowers Smell So Bad?

Unlike most flowering plants that rely on bees or butterflies, the corpse flower attracts pollinators like carrion beetles and flesh flies, which are drawn to the scent of decaying organic matter.

To maximize its chances of pollination, the plant generates heat to help spread the pungent smell, which many describe to be reminiscent of rotting fish, rotten meat and even smelly feet. This process, known as thermogenesis, ensures that insects can find the flower during its short-lived peak bloom.

The Corpse Flower Blooming Process

The corpse flower is known for producing one of the largest unbranched inflorescences in the plant kingdom. The inflorescence consists of hundreds of tiny male flowers and female flowers hidden inside a large, leaf-like structure called the spathe.

When the female flowers open, they are pollinated by insects before the male flowers release their pollen the following day.

At many botanic gardens — including the Chicago Botanic Garden, the New York Botanical Garden and The Huntington in San Marino, California — researchers carefully monitor the blooming frequency of these endangered plants.

Because the corpse flower’s bloom cycle is so unpredictable, visitors often have to wait years for a single seedling to mature and bloom.

Conservation and Cultivation

The plant’s native forest habitat is shrinking due to oil palm plantations and deforestation — and rare corpse flower blooms mean the species isn't doing itself any favors. To preserve this unique plant, botanic garden conservation efforts focus on growing living plants in controlled environments.

Many botanic gardens, such as the Royal Botanic Gardens, house specimens to protect the gene pool and allow cross-pollination between two plants that may have previously bloomed at different times.

Because this rare corpse flower takes years to bloom, studying its growth in botanical gardens is crucial. When the spathe begins to unfurl and the plant grows a new leaf, researchers track its progress to predict when the next peak bloom will occur.

We created this article in conjunction with AI technology, then made sure it was fact-checked and edited by a HowStuffWorks editor.