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Bella, the Titan Arum
Amorphophallus titanum
June 24, 2010 -- fading away . . .note the"flower" is mostly closed and the edges are browning.
The following images are in chronological order -- so the latest image is at the bottom.
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June 3 2010
"Giant flowers from little sprouts grow" (to paraphrase a famous verse). Hard to believe this little 9 inch bud will turn into the beautiful monstrosity in the portrait overlooking it. Today Larry Mellichamp went on record pronouncing this a flower bud, with a predicted bloom date of July 1.
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June 14 2010
"Peek-a-boo"! We get our first glimpse at the flower to come. Measuring in at 2 feet at this point, we are guessing Bella will be a little on the petit side -- maybe 4 feet tall. Of course, a four foot tall flower that reeks of rotting animal is nothing to sneeze at - cough and wrinkle up your nose, maybe, but not sneeze.
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June 15
Bella has grown about an inch and a half since yesterday, and is poking out even more from the protective leaves surrounding the flower structure. Staff have begun scurrying around - making preparations for welcoming many visitors through the greenhouse when she finally opens.
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June 16
Van Landingham Glen Manager, Meredith Hebden, takes a break from tending native plants to gaze at Bella, the Sumatran wonder -- now measuring 28" tall (+3 inches since yesterday). Almost the entire developing spathe (like a big, frilly petal) can be seen now. The central spadix (looking like the tip of a giant green finger at this point) is clearly visible. This part will turn a dull yellow as the bloom reaches maturity. By comparing to her development in 2007, we are estimating a bloom date of June 24, 25, or 26.
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June 17
Looking lean and mean in this shot, Bella is now 30.5 inches tall. Also looking fabulous is Tammy Blume, greenhouse horticulturist -- one of Bella's caretakers that helped bring about this special event. The titan arum grows from an underground corm (like a bulb) and goes through periods of dormancy of 6 - 9 months. During this phase, it must be kept warm and dry. When the corm breaks dormancy, the plant usually grows a gigantic, branching leaf (that looks like a small tree in itself). During this phase the plant needs regular water, fertilizer, humidity, and warmth. Keeping the plant in good shape through all stages is part of the challenge of growing these rare specimens.
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June 18
32 inches and growing. The word is out and campus residents are starting to come for a first glimpse of Bella, 2010. Many are remembering fondly the excitement of her first bloom in 2007. What good friends this little botanical wonder enjoys!
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June 20
34.5" today. One of Bella's protective leaf sheaths has fallen away - the last on will drop tomorrow. Estimates of her final height, bloom day, as well as pros and cons of pollination are flying among staff and interested visitors. What do you think?
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June 21
One inch increase from yesterday (35.5). Growth is slowing and the inside of the spathe is just beginning to turn crimson. The excitement is building. Harwood Garden manger, Teri Edwards dropped in to admire Bella's widening middle - a sure sign that blooming is close. Yes, she will be smaller, but we are totally enamoured none-the-less. She will be short, but not sweet. Get ready to visit late this week!
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June 22
It's a waiting game now . . .
or so I thought this morning! But as of 4 pm this afternoon -- she is actually OPENING! Yikes! Definately earlier than expected. Not much smell yet, but it should develop this evening and will probably fade by mid-morning. I am sounding the alarm -- Come on out!!
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June 23, 9:30 am
The receiving line has begun! Come out today, as our sweet Bella is already beginning to fade in the heat (although that's what she would experience in her native Sumatra) - perhaps she is becoming shy from all the paparazzi. The smell has changed from a pungent dead rodent fragrance to a rotten garbage or as one visitor described it, "low tide" smell. Come out today - she may be closed by tomorrow.
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June 23, 12:30 pm
Gardens staffperson Connie Byrne sports her "I survived the stink" T-shirt next to the little stinker herself (Bella, of course). You can see in this shot that Bella is already beginning to close back in a bit from her open state late yesterday. We think she was most likely fully open and the most stinky in the middle of the night last night. Which is perfect for attracting beetles in Sumatra, but not for attracting human admirers in Charlotte!
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June 24, 3pm
The show was brief, beautiful, and bizarre. Now that Bella's bloom is closed, it will collapse within a day or two. We attempted pollination with pollen saved (in cold storage) from 2007. It is unlikely that it will take - but we will see. We have hopes that the dormant tuber will spring to life again - with a leaf anywhere from 2-10 months from now. To all her admirers -- a bittersweet farewell, until next time . . .
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Where does the Titan Arum come from?
The Titan Arum grows in the moist, shady jungles of Sumatra, Indonesia.
What a weird-looking flower – is it really the largest flower in the world?
The Titan Arum produces the largest unbranched, inflorescence in the world. The largest of these recorded in cultivation was over 9.5 ft tall! An inflorescence is a structure containing multiple flowers. The Titan Arum bears a special type of inflorescence that looks like one gigantic flower. The tall slender central spike actually bears hundreds of tiny male and female flowers at its base. These little flowers at the base of the spike are hidden by the pleated sheath surrounding it. This sheath will open up at bloom and look like a sort of giant, frilly, maroon petal. Botanists call this sheath and spike type of inflorescence a "spathe and spadix".
Plants that produce these spathe and spadix blooms are in the arum family of plants. A local member of this family is the woodland "Jack-in-the-pulpit" Jack is the spadix and his pulpit is the spathe.
Does it really smell that bad?
Yes, but not for long! The plant produces waves of odor that have been variously described as smelling of rotting animal, dung, and rancid cheese. The Indonesian name for the Titan translates as “corpse flower”. Thankfully, these odors are only produced for 8 to 24 hours – corresponding to the “ripening” of the tiny female flowers, followed by the tiny male flowers at the base of the spike. In the wild, the odor can carry for up to a half-mile attracting specific pollinators. Scientists have observed carrion beetles, carrion flies, and sweat bees visiting the Titan Arum in Sumatra.
How old is your Titan?
Our titan arum, “Bella” is now about 12 years old -- it was about 9 years old when it bloomed for the first time in 2007.
Will it flower again?
Well, now we know that she HAS flowered again (since 2007). The 2010 bloom is smaller - 3 ft tall instead of 5. Where she goes from here we can't say. We will certainly do our best to keep her growing --- and just maybe she will grace us with a third bloom. We did pollinate with pollen from the 2007 bloom, but it is unlikely that the pollen is viable after that period of time (in the freezer) - so unless that pollination results in seeds, Bella should go dormant and hopefully put out a new leaf. In the wild, individuals are estimated to bloom 3-6 times in a 40-yr life span. Plants in cultivation almost never live that long.
Where did you get “Bella”, your Titan Arum plant?
We got ours as a small tuber from Tony Avent, of Plant Delights Nursery in Raleigh. Tony is a fan of many plants in the same genus as the Titan Arum. Some species of Amorphophallus are actually winter-hardy in the Carolinas - these plants are much smaller than the Titan Arum, but fascinating, and even smelly in their own right. The Titan Arum is extremely sensitive to cold and must never be exposed to temperatures below 50 degrees F.
Why did you name her Bella? … Is it really a “she”?
First off, Bella is actually an “it”, since the “flower” is both male and female. Akin to naming a child, we decided on "Bella" for a couple of reasons. Bella is Latin for beautiful, and we are so proud of this flower that, despite its smell, we can only think of it as wonderfully beautiful. Additionally, the shape of the spathe surrounding the spike is that of an inverted Bell.
Is it rare?
In its natural habitat it has a limited range, but until recently was uncommon (but not rare) within that range. Unfortunately it is now becoming rarer and rarer – due to habitat destruction and illegal collecting of the tubers. A good number of botanical gardens around the world (and even individuals) have specimens, but they require specific growing conditions to thrive, and there is no guarantee they will ever bloom. Being lucky enough to have one bloom in cultivation is the rarity.
Where are the stems and leaves of this plant?
The Titan Arum grows out of a large, underground corm, which is very much like a bulb or tuber. The corm is actually a compressed underground stem that looks like a roundish, flattened potato. The corms of some Titans have weighed in at over 200 lbs!
At different stages during its life the Titan's corm is either dormant underground, or bearing a giant compound leaf or a solitary, giant inflorescence. In other words, the leaf and the flower never exist on the plant at the same time. After the Titan blooms, its amazing “flower” will wither and collapse, but the corm below ground will remain. After a short period a giant leaf will emerge. The leaf is spectacular in its own right. Its stalk is up to 12’ tall (taller in the wild), colored with splotches in shades of green and cream, and appearing somewhat like a giant, lacy umbrella. Although it looks like a weird sort of tree, it is truly just one giant, compound leaf! The leaf can last up to a year, before it turns yellow and dies. Then the plant must go through a period of rest (dormancy) – during this time is exists only as the underground corm.
Where can I find out more about the Titan Arum?
The web is full of information on this fascinating, dramatic plant. Most gardens and universities that have had one bloom have pictures and information - some with video. Search for “Titan Arum” or “Amorphophallus titanum”. Enjoy!
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Titan Arum, Amorphophallus titanum
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18 June 2007
We first began to suspect that the small bud emerging from the Arum's large pot could possibly be a flower and not a leaf on Friday, June 8th. Pictured here on June 18th, the bud has expanded to 31" tall and 8.5" wide.
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19 June 2007
The Titan Arum flower bud continues to expand - growing 2" in height since yesterday. It will remain in the greenhouse until nearer to opening (estimating 10 - 14 days from now), when we plant to move it outdoors to the greenhouse courtyard for its public debut!
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20 June 2007
Today the sheath of the bud has just begun to separate - we can see the immature spike poking out, as well as the immature bract portion of what will become the flower. The overall height today is 34".
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21 June 2007
The spike has grown by 5 inches today - poking further out of the protective leaf sheaths. The folds of what will develop into the frilly "cloak", called a spathe are more visible. Even though we can see these parts of the developing inflorescence, at 39 inches "Bella" is still a long way from blooming.
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22 June 2007
3 more inches today. Bella measures 42" high and 12" wide Greenhouse horticulturist, Jennifer Alm is inspecting the progress.
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23 June 2007
Bella grew 4” today, so is now measuring 46” tall and continues to “fatten” . The protective bracts surrounding the developing flower are still intact, which tells us the flower has at least a week before opening.
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25 June 2007
Bella grew 6" since Sat. and stands 52" tall. The sheath leaves have begun to fall away as the flower grows to 30" in girth. No smell and no color yet. John Denti, orchid curator, measures Bella.
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26 June 2007
Bella grew to 56 " tall on Tuesday. The last large sheathing leaf has fallen and there is a hint of maroon color inside the cloak. We turned her around as we have been looking at the back side. Note groove on the horn.
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27 June 2007
Bella stands at 57 " - growth slowing. More color and texture forming. No smell. She has been moved a few feet to positing for public viewing. Harwood Gardens manager Teri Edwards sports new "Bella" T-shirts now available.
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28 June 2007
Bella is 59" tall, and growing fatter. She shows more maroon color on the frilly spathe, here with Buffie Stephens, Media Relations Coordinator at UNCCharlotte.
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June 29, 2007
Bella is 60" tall - turning maroon inside the spathe. No smell yet. She was on the web cam all night. Here she is with Sue Richards, head volunteer at UNC Charlotte Botanical Gardens. Looks like Sunday may be big day - or not. Watch this site. watch the web cam.
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June 30, 2007
Bella is 60 inches tall, hasn't changed much. here she is with gardener Connie Byrne. We are told by expert Alan Galloway that she will likely open Sunday night. We also had visit today from Tony Avent of Plant Delights Nursery in Raleigh where Bella was born in 2001.
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July 1, 2007
The day has come -- Bella, the Titan Arum began opening early this morning - around 5 am!
Come visit today to experience the smell from 8am - 8pm (Sunday only). Gary O'Brien examines the flower before taking its portrait.
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July 2, 2007
Bella's smell has ended (can still get a whiff if you get real close), and her spathe is drawing in, but she is still a sight to see. The withering of the flower is happening more rapidly than we expected. Visit today or early tomorrow, as the flower may be closed up by tomorrow afternoon. Pictured is Suzanne Mellichamp, who was inspired by Bella's coloring to dye her hair.
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July 3, 2007
Bella is behaving like a shrinking violet - the flower has withered rather quickly and will be mostly closed by tomorrow morning. Despite Larry Mellichamp's grimace, the flower no longer stinks. We will continue to allow her to "fade" naturally, until she collapses (perhaps by Friday). Then we will be watching expectantly for a leaf to emerge. The greenhouse will be open to visitors on July 4, from 10 am to 3pm.
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July 4, 2007
Bella's horn collapsed today around 2pm. We are sad to see the flower go, but have enjoyed the excitement this plant has brought to the greenhouse and gardens. Soon, we will remove the collapsed flower, and wait for a leaf bud to emerge from the tuber. The giant leaf should be up and expanded by the beginning of August. If we are lucky, Bella will grace us with another flower in 3-5 years. Thank you for visiting and come back often!
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July 5, 2007
Bye, Bye Bella! "All good things must come to an end" -- and some of them quicker than others. We will most likely cut off the giant faded flower ceremoniously on Friday. As soon as the leaf bud emerges from the tuber we will begin again growing this amazing plant and hope for another flower in 3-5 years. Thank you to all who visited, shared your excitement, and supported us. We hope you will come visit the greenhouse and gardens many times before Bella blooms again!
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Plant & Gardening Info 
Claire and Grady - clearly thrilled to be among the first to smell-a Bella.
Mostly Cloudy 80 oF