A more unique than rare event in Warsaw: hundreds, perhaps thousands of people have lined up only to see (and smell, if they really keep us) the notorious “Fiore Cadavere”, blossomed for a very short moment at the botanical garden of the University of the Polish capital.
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We are talking about the Amorphophallus Titanum, also known as “Arum del Titano” or, more simply, “the flower that stinks dead”. And no, it’s not a way of saying: its smell is really similar to that of decomposition meat. But don’t worry, it is not an assassin plant: this fier serves to recall the pollinating insects, those who usually ban on carcasses.
A vegetable almost 2 meters high
The specimen blossomed in Warsaw is 180 cm tall, 122 wide and weighs about 40 kilos. Not bad for a plant that rarely blooms – the last time was 2021 – and remains in bloom only for a couple of days, sometimes even less.
From the jungle to the city
This plant is originally from the multiplasses of Sumatra, Indonesia, where, however, it is at risk of extinction due to deforestation. Fortunately, some botanical gardens in the world – such as Warsaw – cultivate and protect it. The first flowering outside Sumatra dates back to 1889, at the Royal Botanical Gardens in Kew, in London.
A viral phenomenon
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The images of the flower made the rounds of the web, including selfies, stories on Instagram and videos with the reactions (often disgusted) of visitors. The visual impact is impressive: a huge purple spy that opens around a very high central ear. It seems to have come out of a horror movie. And the smell … as well.
But apparently, the charm of the macabre works: for many people it was an appointment not to be missed. And in the end, stinking with a corpse for a day proved to be a huge success for the strangest and most fascinating flower in the world.
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