Titan arum marathon in the botanical garden

Native to Sumatra, the titan arum is a record-breaking diva: it is the largest flower in the world, it rarely blooms, and you never know exactly when it will bloom. But the ÖBG at the University of Bayreuth is also a record holder: this year, all three of its titan arum plants have flowered. However, the smell of the flower probably only gets a gold medal from special insects, because the titan arum stinks of carrion. Nevertheless, the Bayreuth titan arum plants have been attracting thousands of visitors to the ÖBG since their first flowering in 2014 - this year on June 6, when the first plant opened its reddish-purple bract and gave off the typical carrion smell. This titan arum plant last bloomed in August 2021 and attracted over 10,000 visitors to the ÖBG's Tropical House with its new bloom this year.

Just two weeks later, another titan arum signaled ist bloom. "As we had already had a flower with a lot of public attention shortly before, the idea arose to share the joy and lend the plant," says Dr. Marianne Lauerer from the ÖBG. A few days before flowering, the titan arum plant was safely packed and brought to the Botanical Garden of the University of Würzburg, where it blossomed on June 20. This special loan is evidence of the close networking and cooperation between the botanical gardens in Bavaria, which promotes the joint educational mission. In Würzburg, the Bayreuth titan arum delighted well over 11,000 visitors.

Completely surprisingly, the ÖBG's third titan arum has now also joined the record-breaking podium and bloomed on August 3 in the local Bayreuth Tropical House. It was the eleventh titan arum flowering in Bayreuth since the plants have been cultivated there.

In the manner of Olympians with airs and graces, the titan arum also has a mind of its own and the exact time of flowering is difficult to predict. To ensure that nobody misses this extraordinary event, the ÖBG installs a webcam for every titan arum flowering, which can be used to observe the plant, and also opens the greenhouses and the garden until the evening hours. There is therefore no simple answer to the frequently asked question about the next flowering. It will probably not be until 2026 or 2027 that another titan arum will bloom in the ÖBG.