Soon it will be in full bloom again

The Ecological Botanical Garden (ÖBG) in Bayreuth is also known beyond the borders of Franconia - and that also because of a very special plant: the Titanwurz (Amorphophallus titanum). Since 2014, this extraordinary plant has already flowered several times at the ÖBG.

The first Titanwurz in the ÖBG was on 1 August 2014. It was 2.30 metres high - and a crowd puller even then. Although the Titanwurz usually forms a foliage leaf that is used for nutrient collection and then dies before the tuber sprouts a flower, the next flower already followed on 6 June 2015. There were two flowers in a row without a leaf phase in between. The third flower was on 18 June 2016 with a height of 1.52 metres in the ÖBG, the fourth on 28 May 2018 with 2.14 metres. Most recently, a Titanwurz flowered in Bayreuth on 8 June 2019: at 1.83 metres, however, it was also smaller than the flower now expected after Easter.

So a flowering Titanwurz plant is no longer anything exciting in Bayreuth? Not at all! The sixth blossom, which is growing more and more taller every day, is that of a new plant! The Titanwurz, native to Sumatra, came to Bayreuth in July 2021, was nurtured and cared for here and is now about to flower. It comes from the Palmengarten Frankfurt and was born there from a meristem propagation. This means that the ÖBG now has three specimens of this special plant.

The Titanwurz is not only known for its huge flower, but also for its smell: it stinks of carrion and urine. The reason for this is quickly explained: this unpleasant smell is responsible for the fact that the largest flower in the world attracts insects that serve for pollination.

Since the day of flowering cannot be predicted exactly, interested people are informed about the state of flower development via Facebook and via a webcam. It is planned to open the Tropical Forest House until 10 p.m. on the evening of the blossoming and the day after, so that visitors can experience the smell and image of the Titanwort for themselves.