A titan arum (aka the “corpse flower”) blooming at Australia’s Royal Botanic Garden Sydney is making headlines. These putrid plants bloom infrequently and unpredictably, so when they do, it’s kind of a big deal.
But did you know Columbus has multiple corpse flowers?
A campus corpse (flower)
The Ohio State University got its first corpse flower seeds from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. From this seed lot, the university grew several specimens:
- “Woody” — bloomed in 2011 and 2013
- “Jesse” — bloomed in 2012
- “Maudine” — bloomed in 2013
- “Scarlet” — bloomed in 2013
What goes around comes around. The Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University is currently cultivating two titan arums from The Ohio State University.
A frank stink
Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens’ corpse flower has bloomed twice — once in 2020 and again in 2024. Hang tight for its next bloom, likely in several years.
No corpse flowers are currently on display, but check out the conservatory’s other winter offerings.
