A decidedly out-of-the-ordinary theft has shaken the city of Dortmund, Germany: a specimen of Amorphophallus titanum, known as the “corpse flower” due to its nauseating smell, similar to that of rotting flesh, has disappeared from the famous Rombergpark botanical garden. The news was confirmed by the administration of the botanical garden, which reported the theft to the authorities.
What happened to David?
According to initial information, the thieves did not limit themselves to cutting the flower, but dug up the entire plant with the root, a far from simple operation: the specimen, nicknamed “David”, weighs on average between 20 and 30 kilograms. This makes the theft even more suspicious, because whoever carried it out clearly knew what they were doing — and how much that plant was worth on the rare botanical collectors’ market.
THE’Amorphophallus titanum it is one of the largest and most fascinating plants on the planet, native to the rainforests of Sumatra, Indonesia. When it flowers – a very rare event that only happens every 3-7 years – the plant produces an enormous inflorescence that can exceed 3 meters in height. But its fame doesn’t just come from its size: the flower gives off a terrible smell, similar to rotten meat.
However, this stench has a precise function: it attracts necrophilic insects such as flies and cockroaches, which mistake the plant for a dead animal and favor its pollination. Flowering only lasts a couple of days at most, which is why each event of this type attracts thousands of visitors. At Rombergpark, the 2018 and 2021 blooms of ‘David’ attracted crowds from all over Germany.
The investigation into a theft that puts biodiversity at risk
The disappearance of a specimen of Amorphophallus titanum is not just an economic or symbolic loss. It is an extremely rare and difficult to cultivate species, protected in many countries. Today there are around 1000 specimens around the world and each individual represents an important piece of botanical research and biodiversity conservation. Experts fear that the theft could damage the species’ fragile reproductive balance, as well as represent a serious blow to the garden’s environmental education programs.
The German authorities have already started an investigation, but at the moment there are no suspects or concrete traces. It is hypothesized that the flower could end up on the black market of rare plants, where similar specimens can fetch staggering sums. Meanwhile, Rombergpark has expressed “deep concern” and strengthened security measures. “David wasn’t just a plant — he was a part of our history and our mission to protect nature,” a spokesperson for the garden said.
