Stinky corpse flower opens early at Adelaide Botanic Gardens
The corpse flower will be on show until midnight after surprising garden staff. Photo: Botanic Gardens of South Australia
A rare corpse flower has opened in the Adelaide Botanic Gardens earlier than gardening experts expected.
The threatened Titan Arum, which smells like rotting flesh, will be on show until midnight for people to catch a glimpse or a whiff.
The large flowers attracted thousands of people when they flowered in South Australia last year for the first time.
The gardens on Tuesday afternoon announced the flower named Ganteng, Indonesian for handsome, had “arrived a little early” in the Bicentennial Conservatory.
In the rainforests of Sumatra, where the plant is native, the flower’s pungent scent encourages pollination.
The flower pushes out a strong stench every 30 seconds.
Garden lovers wanting a glimpse need to act quickly as the flower only lasts for about 48 hours before it begins to die.
The conservatory, on Plane Tree Drive, will also be open from 7:00am on Wednesday until 6:30pm.
BREAKING NEWS: Ganteng the Corpse Flower has arrived early! Come and see it in #Adelaide now, until midnight https://t.co/4bqurVe94D pic.twitter.com/XRVWHGpzzV
— Botanic Gardens SA (@BotGardensSA) January 3, 2017
