New Bedford Guide Your Guide to New Bedford and South Coast, MA
Nunan Florist & Greenhouses in Georgetown, Massachusetts has announced a “once in a lifetime” opportunity for people to see their “corpse flower” which is now in full bloom.
Colloquially called a “corpse flower,” the titan arum or Amorphophallus titanium, is native to Sumatra, Indonesia. When in full bloom it can stand as high as 8′ tall and be up to 4′ feet in diameter – though this specific flower is expected to reach 4′ tall. As its name would suggest, the aroma is similar to a dead person.
Why would anyone want to smell a corpse? Besides having the aroma of rotten flesh it only blooms about once a decade, it is extremely alien-looking flower and is massive – considered by some to be the world’s largest. The Titan Arum can grow up to 6 inches a day!
Once the plant blooms it opens up to reveal a velvety maroon interior and emits a foul stench produced by dimethyl trisulfide, dimethyl disulfide, trimethylamine, isovaleric acid, benzyl alcohol, and indole. While those compounds don’t mean anything to most of it, people who have gotten a whiff describe it variously as a mix of garlic, stinky cheese, rotting fish, boiled cabbage, sweaty socks, with a hint or kiss of sweet flowery scent.
Why does the “corpse flower” do this? The scent attracts a variety of pollinators such as carrion beetles, flesh flies, and sweat bees.
Want to see the flower in person? Maybe take a selfie? Nunan Florist & Greenhouses is located at 269 Central St. and open Monday-Saturday from 8:00am-5:00pm and on Sunday from 9:00am-5:00pm.
All photos by Nunan Florist & Greenhouses:
