What is a titan arum?
The titan arum is in the arum family, Araceae. It is related to such native Wisconsin plants as Skunk Cabbage, Jack-in-the-Pulpit and Wild Calla. Ornamental relatives include Peace Lily, Philodendron, Anthurium and Dieffenbachia. Where do titan arums grow in nature? Titans occur only in the equatorial rain forest on the Indonesian Island of Sumatra. Because of rain forest destruction, they are threatened and are listed as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). How did the titan arum get its name? Titan arum is the name given to the plant by David Attenborough in 1993 for the BBC program The Private Life of Plants. Indonesians know it by the name Bunga Bangkai (Corpse Flower), alluding to the smell of the flower. Another name is krubi. When does the titan arum flower? A titan from seed takes 6 or more years to flower. Each year it sends up a single giant leaf that can reach 20 ft tall. The leaf produces food that is stored in a huge tuber underground. T
