Two Dozen Side Steps

 

Its scientific name is amorphophallus titanum, which means, “misshapen giant.” In its native Indonesia, it’s called bunga bangkai. Much of the world calls it a corpse flower, primarily because of the way it smells. It has a complex aroma, with notes of garlic, moldy cheese, sweaty gym socks, decaying fish and boiled cabbage. But mostly, it smells like rotting flesh. The 6- to 8-foot flower generates heat, which helps spread the odor. On a good night, you can smell it half a mile away. The purpose of the stink is to attract pollinators like flies and carrion beetles. The corpse flower blooms for a day or two every seven to fifteen years. Their population is declining in the wild, but when one blossoms in a botanical garden, it attracts tens of thousands of curious human visitors. They’re notoriously difficult to propagate, but if you’d like to give it a try, there are seeds for sale on Amazon.