A rare botanical event is returning to Raleigh as Plant Delights Nursery at Juniper Level Botanic Garden prepares for its third-ever bloom of the Titan Arum—also known as the corpse flower.
Nicknamed Homo Erectus, the 10-year-old plant is expected to bloom between August 2 and 4, likely around 3 to 4 p.m. The flower is growing five inches per day and will only stay open for 24 to 48 hours. Known for its towering size and foul odor, the Titan Arum emits a scent like rotting meat to attract pollinators.
Native to Indonesia’s Sumatran rainforest, fewer than 1,000 plants remain in the wild. Fewer than 1,000 corpse flowers have bloomed in cultivation worldwide—just 17 previously in North Carolina.
The garden will open Monday through Friday, July 28–Aug. 1, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., with extended hours likely during peak bloom.
The garden has already started a live stream where viewers can watch the flower bloom in real time:
Plant Delights will sell rare Amorphophallus species during the event, and the first 100 garden members in attendance will receive a free Amorphophallus konjac seedling.
The Juniper Level Botanic Garden is located at 9241 Sauls Rd., Raleigh, N.C.
