Titan Arum

Suitable for: Early Primary – Primary
Titan Arum icon

Titan Arum

Wildflower
Titan Arum
Titan Arum

The towering 'corpse flower' that heats itself up to pump out a stench of rotting flesh, then collapses within two days.

💡 Fun Facts

  • Nicknamed the 'corpse flower', it is taller than a person and smells of rotting flesh!
  • It even heats itself up to spread its stink further, to attract beetles and flies.
  • It blooms only once every few years, and the giant bloom collapses within two days.
Name Story

Amorphophallus titanum

means “The giant, misshapen spike”

What does its name mean?
  • Amorphophallus — misshapen spike or stalkGreek
  • titanum — titanic, gigantic (from the Titans)Greek

This plant grows one of the tallest flowering spikes on Earth — a towering, lumpy, irregular spire that can rise higher than a grown-up, named after the giant Titans of Greek myth.

🎴 Field Research Data Cards

Picture
Units

Titan Arum

S
Titan Arum
PollinationCarrion beetles and flesh flies — the bloom heats up and reeks of rotting flesh to lure them
Seed DispersalAnimals — bright orange-red fruits eaten by hornbills and other birds
DefencesNone notable; the stench is for attraction
Special AbilityWarms its central spike to near human body temperature to broadcast its carrion scent
Flowering SeasonBlooms unpredictably, only every few years, and for just 24 to 48 hours
Seeds / YearHundreds of fruits and seeds after a rare successful bloom
Human UsesA botanic-garden spectacle and a conservation flagship
Record TraitWorld's largest unbranched inflorescence — about 2.5 to 3 m tall (it is many tiny flowers, not one)