Where’s Waldo? Just Follow Your Nose!

Remember the Rafflesia Arnoldii, aka Stinking Corpse Lily? It’s got a cousin! The Amorphophallus Titanum (which literally translates to “Giant Misshapen Penis”) is the largest unbranched inflorescence in the world (reaching heights between 5 and 10 feet) and is as infamous as the arnoldii for a distinctive floral bouquet reminiscent of decomposing flesh. Because the plant blooms briefly only once every few years, visitors to the Volunteer Park Conservatory at the University of Washington late last month were delighted–if olfactorily repulsed–at the chance to experience the rare flowering plant firsthand.

Called Waldo by its proud caretakers at the University of Washington, the specimen has bloomed only three times, according to Conservatory gardener Nile Kurashige, making its sudden flowering on the night of July 27 a real Grand Opening. “We opened the conservatory at eight the next morning and TV crews from channels 4 and 5 were there. We tried to get the word out as much as possible, as the first night is the big stink night.”