Corpse flower ready to bloom, smell at Chicago Botanical Garden

That typically occurs “in its first decade or so of life”, but last week’s expected bloom time came and went; Spike apparently didn’t have enough energy to finish the job so scientists had to help. The scientist performed the procedure in front of many viewers hoping to see what is contained inside and smell the pungent odor associated with the plant. Once it does bloom, the flower, “in one big, hours-long burst”, releases its rotten scent to attract the carrion beetles and flesh flies that are its natural pollinators, according to the garden’s information page.

The corpse flower that has received so much attention at the Chicago Botanic Garden in Glencoe has been a bit of a disappointment.

The corpse flower, which has been nicknamed “Spike”, had been predicted by some to bloom after 12 years of growing and preparation, causing many observers to wonder why it failed to do so.

The rare foul smelling flower thus got a helping hand from the scientists when it did not open at the Chicago Botanic Garden.

According to Tim Pollak, the garden’s outdoor floriculturist, “The titan arum, also known as the corpse flower, is the largest flowering structure in the world”. The garden will stay open until 2 a.m. Sunday to allow visitors to get a close-up look at Spike.

Herendeen explained that Spike’s failure to open on its own does not mean it is sick. It’s native to the rainforest of western Sumatra, Indonesia, in accordance with the discharge. The process of blooming starts at mid-afternoon and late evening and the flower remain open all through the night. The plant was not dying but scientists noted it had stopped maturing and the spathe did not open.

The event gathered hundreds of fans in Chicago Botanic Garden. On Sunday, people were surprised to find its outer spathe cut off by scientists to harvest the pollen.

There are eight other titan arums in the Chicago Botanic Garden.

The garden noted the flower did not produce pollen and will continue to monitor Spike’s development.