Over the last week, Carolus has grown 20 inches and now stands 56 inches tall in Minns Garden (map). And the towering Titan arum is still adding about 3 inches a day.
The last time Carolus bloomed in 2015 in the Kenneth Post Laboratory Greenhouses, it peaked at 76 inches tall.
When, exactly, will Carolus unfurl its spathe and begin emitting its pungent odor designed to draw in flies, beetles and other pollinators attracted by the prospect of finding a rotting animal carcass? That will be even more difficult to predict this time around due to Carolus being outside the controlled environment of a greenhouse.
But there are signs to look for, based on previous indoor flowerings. A few days before peak, growth will begin to slow and the spathe will begin to show some reddish tinges. Then when the day arrives, late in the afternoon the spathe will start to pull away from the spadix and the show is on.
Hopefully. Even when flowering inside a cozy conservatory, Titan arums at other institutions have occasionally been known to simply run out of energy and never fully open. We’re prepared for that eventuality, as well. Either way, Carolus is already a showstopper in the garden.
If you’d like to be notified when Carolus starts to open, please sign up for email updates (right column or below on mobile).
