The Corpse Flower named Pablo is blooming at the Toronto Zoo. This unique, large flower, which can grow as tall as 3 meters, emits a scent that smells like rotting flesh. Lovely, isn’t it? (Learn more about Amorphophallus titanum )
This is the first time this flower has bloomed at the Toronto Zoo and is only the 5th time a Corpse Flower, which is native to Indonesia, has bloomed in Canada.
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#CORPSEWATCH Update: Pablo “Pe-ew”caso grew another ¼ inch since yesterday morning, reaching 42 1/2 inches tall. . There are a few key indicators that we are nearing the bloom period. The growth has basically come to a standstill, the deep red colour is intensifying daily, and the skirt is starting to pull away from the spadix. The energy will now shift from the growth of the plant, into developing the male and female flowers when the bloom opens, which is crucial for the pollination of the plant. We anticipate that the base of the flower will continue to swell over the next couple of days as well. Temperatures taken earlier this morning indicate it is 3 degrees warmer at the core of the plant than it is at the base of the plant. This increase in heat is likely resulting in an increased presence of flies around Pablo, because Pablo emits a smell not yet detectable to human noses. . We will continue to monitor the flower several times per day to attempt to accurately pinpoint when the bloom period will commence. Because Pablo has not been a textbook case in terms of pattern of growth for the Amorphophallus titanum, the bloom is likely to be a bit more unpredictable and could happen at any time. We will make an announcement once we have confirmation when the 8-36 hour bloom period begins, and until then, you can visit Pablo during regular Zoo hours. Please note this is a separate ticketed exhibit. See details at www.torontozoo.com/corpse. #WhatsThatSmell #ZooHorticulture #horticulture #corpseplant #corpseflower
A post shared by Toronto Zoo (@thetorontozoo) on Sep 13, 2018 at 11:54am PDT
Here’s what a Corpse Flower looks like when bloomed:
By Sailing moose – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=70296828
