Corpse flower comes to life

Cantabrians have the chance to see a rare flowering tropical plant that smells of rotting flesh and hardly ever blooms.

The corpse flower, Amorphophallus titanum, has been growing at the Christchurch Botanic Gardens since 2008 and has only ever flowered one other time five years ago.

It originates in the rainforests of Sumatra.

Deputy Director Botanic Gardens and Mona Vale Nicky Brown is encouraging garden enthusiasts and people with an interest in the slightly unusual to see the flower in person.

“There is only a small window to see the plant flowering. It last flowered in 2020 and it’s impossible to predict when the next time will be as there isn’t an annual blooming cycle," she said.

"This is a rare chance for people to see and smell the corpse flower outside of Sumatra."

The plant blooms only when sufficient energy is accumulated, making time between flowering unpredictable, spanning from a few years to more than a decade.

The bloom emerges from, and energy is stored in, a huge underground stem called a "corm." 

The corpse flower is part of a larger collection of tropical plants grown at the botanic gardens.

It is on show at the Ilex function room in the gardens seven days a week between 9am and 5pm daily.