The titan arum in full bloom

Indigenous to Sumatra, the plant species of the titan arum (Amorphophallus titanum) is one of the great attractions of many botanical gardens worldwide. After several years of growth, the titanium root forms a flower that can grow up to two metres high. It secretes the penetrating scent of decaying flesh to attract insects for pollination. The odoriferous spectacle usually comes to an end after three days. If pollination does not take place, the flower sags and atrophies; if the plant is pollinated, red berries form within eight months and the whole plant dies.

Titan arum (Amorphophallus titanum), color photography, 2005, unknown photographer; source: United States Botanic Garden, Wikimedia Commons, public domain.