Titan arum ‘Wee Stinky’ preparing to flower

For updates on ‘Wee Stinky’ visit the Liberty Hyde Bailey Conservatory news feed.

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One of the Liberty Hyde Bailey Conservatory’s two flowering-sized Titan arums is preparing to flower, likely before the end of the year.

‘Wee Stinky’ — the first of Cornell’s Titan arums to flower in 2012 — has broken dormancy. Cornell University Agriculture Experiment Station greenhouse growers expertly moved the pot holding the plant into the bench area at the north end of the Student House where it will flower alongside its sibling ‘Carolus,’ currently in its vegetative stage. (View video of the move below.)

When will ‘Wee Stinky’ open and emit its pungent aroma? It’s hard to say at this point. At just over 6 inches tall, it has a long way to go. The last time ‘Wee Stinky’ flowered in October 2016 its spadix stood 87 inches tall. And we’re unsure how the short days and low light levels will affect the progress of this tropical plant. Our current estimate is sometime in early to mid-December.  As we chart its growth, we’ll get a better idea.

The Conservatory is open weekdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Stop by to view the Titan arums and the 600 other fascinating plants that make up this living collection.

Learn more about Amorphophallus titanum | View time-lapse videos