What's new
TerraForums Venus Flytrap, Nepenthes, Drosera and more talk

Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

Stinkiest plant?

PlantAKiss

Moderator Schmoderator Fluorescent fluorite, Engl
I saw a thread on this topic on the...er..uh...GardenWeb once a long time ago (NOT a CP topic) and Unknownclown's comment about her purple passion plant reminded me of it.  The words people chose to describle the smells of plants and flowers they found offensive was hilarious.  And it seemed there were LOTS of reeking plants people grow.  And even some flowers most people find pleasant some found stinky (such as stargazer lilies).   So I just thought for fun, I'd try it here and see if anyone had any stinky experiences.  I have already learned about the stench of the durian fruit on the forums.  (I'd still like to eat one).

I guess the one that comes to mind for me is a succulent plant I had once a long time ago.  I had it at my office at work.  It produced a large bloom which grew very fast.  It got bigger and bigger.  It is somewhat like a balloon flower where the bloom is like a puffed up pillow which kinda bursts open into a flower.  Finally the great day came....the petals separated at their points, the "pillow" popped open to reveal a large, strikingly beautiful, star-shaped flower!!!...AND... a stench that would bring you gagging to your knees!  Ohmigod... :shocked: ...it reeked like something had crawled up in it and died.  What a trick of nature!  Here was this incredibly beautiful flower and yet the smell was putrid.

I later discovered the plant is a succulent called a stapelia, also known as the CARRION plant!  It all made sense then.  Amazingly there are many varieties and the flowers are gorgeous.  IF you can stand the smell, they are cool plants.

Anyone wishing to see the lovely but odorous flowers check out this link.

http://www.cactus-mall.freeserve.co.uk/stapelia/picturef.html

If anyone else has a plant or flower that has an "unusual" or interesting smell, feel free to share.  :)

Suzanne


(Edited by PlantAKiss at 2:59 pm on April 15, 2002)
 
Firstly, Kinda on topic I LOVE the smell of S. Flava flowers! everyone else i have ever shown them to don't like it! They discribe it as cat pee in a pair of sweaty trainers. I think its a pleasant smell!
Another plant I once grew was some aroid species with huge purple flowers. I got it from a plant stall at a market. The leaves were lobed and had little whitish markings on them. The flower was big (it attracted me because it trapped insects) and was a lovely maroony purple colour! But the Stench! I had it in a large pot in the greenhouse but had to move it outside!
 
I have 2 stapelias and I love them. I didn't know they were bad though until I went up to smell the flower :cheesy: I should have known something was up with all the flies that were around it!!!

The flower is awesome and was the size of my hand ( and you know everything is big in Texas
smile.gif
) They didn't last long, but I had a couple dozen or more on the plant. I have pictures of the flowers, I will try to get some scanned and put on the site.

It is my understanding that plants like this, there aren't other bugs around, so they smell like rotting meat and flies from all over will come to pollinate the plant.

Just be sure to keep it down wind if you grow one
smile.gif
 
Sounds like a perfect companion for CP's.
 
jaie if you guys ever decide to sell stapelia I'll put my hand up for one (if the postage doesn't kill me!

I have never grown them but I have bumped into both Rafflesia and Amorphophallus and they are both pretty stinky. We get a small species of Amorphophallus in the garden here and even the small ones have a beautiful flower that smells of rotten meat.
 
That titan arum is one cool plant! And stapelia I must try.

Wish I could say I've had a plant with really fetid flowers. Some common florist's lilies, though, have musky scents that overwhelm you in a small room.

PFT, yes, please sell stapelia! :)

Chris

(Edited by Dionaea Enthusiast at 5:25 pm on April 19, 2002)
 
I am working on making that the next 'non-cp' we will carry.

I love my 2 plants ( I am hoping the other will bloom this year!! - it was a little smaller ).

I think that they are great plants and I would love to people to get into them ( just not too close
smile.gif
p-ewww )

Give me some time to get this move done...and then I will work on finding some.

And Fatboy....I don't think that it would be too much to send one to you. But I will check it out.

Email me your address and I will check next time I am at the post office.

And DE....

I just wanted to say HI
smile.gif
and I hope you had a good trip. It has been a while since you and I have spoken. I do hope that all is well
smile.gif
 
hi jaie! yes, I am alive and well...I will be giving a report of my trip in my 'bon vacance' thread sometime today--it was a wonderful vacation

This place offers S. leendertziae, characterized by stunningly stinky flowers, which I think people would have a morbid interest in. I think this species is ideal, if you can find it.

Chris
 
  • #10
I used to grow a lot of Stapelias and I thought those were the smelliest flowers. Then I grew the Dragon Arum, Dracunculus vulgaris, which smells like rotten fish (and is hardy in the UK by the way!) This has massive big purple flowers. But the most disgusting flower has to be the Voodoo Lily, Sauromatum venosum, which is very similar to the Dragon Arum but more slender. This also smells of something dead, but the smell seems to stick to your nostrils and is really, really, really nasty.
 
  • #11
Stephen, do you know of any UK sources that sell the voodoo lily? I have been looking for quite some time! I saw the picture in the RHS encyclopedia of garden?! plants and have wanted it ever since. I have ordered specialist bulb catalogues but with no joy.

The plant I mentioned in the post above was the dragon arum. I didn't realise it was hardy! I grew it in a pot in my greenhouse for a couple of years!
 
  • #12
I have loads, grow like weeds! want some?
 
  • #13
I would love a piece! I didn't realise it was such a vigorous plant! Would you like to e-mail me privatley with a price etc.

Many thanks,

~Richard
 
Back
Top