Look Who's Blooming

No, not my own (luckily!) – the huge and awesome Amorphophallus at work.

I noticed it yesterday morning – I was walking through the greenhouse with the boss, who wanted to show me my next task, and in the middle of our conversation, I shouted, “Whoa! It’s blooming?!” and darted off towards the corner.

I forgot to measure it when I was taking pictures today, but I think the spadix is about 50 cm high, and the spathe 20 cm across.

I wasn’t brave enough to lean close and sniff it, but the boss’s wife was, and she said it smells dreadful, and gave her a headache.

I temporarily forgot about it while I worked in the same greenhouse, and today I remembered – oh yeah, that’s what the smell is! I’d been wondering if there was a dead mouse under one of the tables, so yes, it really smells like rotten meat.

Still, it looks really awesome! And now that we have a flower, I can be relatively sure it is Amorphophallus konjac.

Oh, and by the way, European readers… we potted up all the little tubers separately last autumn (that is, I suggested and did it, after several people asked us if my bosses’ huge plant was for sale), and I think they haven’t sprouted yet – so if anyone wants a plant that will one day turn into a huge and stinky monstrosity, I could mail you a tuber (I’d have to discuss prices with my boss first, though.)

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