Why "Corpse Flower"? The name corpse flower comes from the foul odor that the bloom produces. The major components detected in the odors are the sulfur-containing compounds dimethyl disulfide and dimethyl trisulfide.
The day we saw "her" she had not bloomed just yet so there was no smell. As she blooms and heats up she will begin to smell very much like rotting flesh, so I have heard. By the way when we saw the flower on Friday her temperature on the very top was 96 degrees.
That smell is what will attract bees and other insects to come pollinate.
Tomorrow we will be witness to the rare and spectacular bloom of Lenore (Amorphophallus titanum)!
The corpse flower will be on view at Shangri La for a very short time only. Once bloomed, the optimal viewing time is limited to only 24–48 hours.
Shangri La’s Corpse Flower was named “Lenore”, in honor of the poem from the American author Edgar Allen Poe that discusses proper decorum in the wake of the death of a young woman.
Shangri La purchased a 9 pound tuber of the Amorphophallus titanum from Tindara Orchids in September 2011.
Since then, it has been housed at the Production Greenhouse facility until it’s flowering in June 2013. It was then moved to the Exhibition/Classroom Greenhouse at Shangri La Botanical Gardens and Nature Center for public viewing. When first planted, it leafed out and that leaf did not die until late December 2012. The tuber entered a dormancy period that lasted 5 months. In late May with the tuber weighing approximately 31 pounds, a bud broke the soil’s surface, and by June 10, 2013, the staff was positive that Lenore was going to bloom. The peak bloom is expected to be during the week of June 24, 2013.
If you read my blog often you are well aware of my love of nature and the beauty my Heavenly Father has given us. So to say this is exciting is an understatement!
Come back Tuesday and I'll share pictures of Lenore blooming in all her glory!!
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