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The Smell of Death
Have you ever seen the infamous Corpse Plant? Or, perhaps, the better question is: have you ever smelled the odor emanating from a Corpse Flower in bloom? It is said to emulate the smell of death, of rotting meat!
The botanical name for this huge smelly plant is Amorphophallus titanium.
Knowing I was a plant enthusiast an avid gardener, and a trained master gardener volunteer, one of my son’s third-grade teachers once asked if I had ever seen (or smelled) one of these plants. My answer at the time was no. But, now, after last Monday, I can answer affirmatively!
My husband and I visited the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens on Monday, July 11th. Looking for something to do, my husband suggested it. I was thrilled because I had just seen that their resident Corpse Plant was getting ready to bloom. And, blooming means it will also really smell! It will smell bad. Bad, rotting odors will fill the room where the plant is on display.
“Oh, good,” I responded at his suggestion. I’ve always wanted to see a real live corpse plant” (pun intended)!
I also cannot ever recall visiting the Botanical Gardens in Buffalo, New York where we lived for seven years. But, I was not a gardener, master gardener, or environmental educator at the time. Taking interest in anything unusual and awe-inspiring in our natural world…
