Pocket BotanistPlant guide
Titan arum.
Amorphophallus titanum
Pronounced uh-mor-fo-FAL-us ty-TAN-um
Also known as Corpse Flower, Corpse Plant, Titan Arum
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The Titan arum is famous for producing one of the largest unbranched inflorescences in the world. It is a rare tropical plant that requires very specific conditions to thrive. You will likely only see this bloom in botanical gardens because of its massive size and unique needs.
At a glance
- Care level
- Difficult
- Plant type
- Tropical tuberous perennial
- Light
- Bright indirect light
- Indoor light
- Bright indirect
- Water
- Every 3 to 7 days
- Mature size
- 10 feet tall
- Growth rate
- Slow
- Hardiness
- USDA 10 to 12
- Bloom time
- Irregular, typically every 7 to 10 years
Care
Keep the plant in a high humidity environment with consistent warmth. Watch for yellowing leaves which often signal issues with soil moisture or temperature. It needs a very large container to accommodate its massive tuber.
- Watering
- Keep the soil consistently moist but never soggy to prevent tuber rot.
- Feeding
- Use a balanced liquid fertilizer during the active growing season.
- Pruning
- Remove the leaf only after it has completely yellowed and died back naturally.
- Repotting
- Repot only when the tuber has outgrown its current container.
- Soil
- Well draining organic mix
- Soil pH
- 6.0 to 7.0
- Temperature
- 18 to 30°C
- Humidity
- 70 to 90%
- Drought tolerance
- Low
- Lifespan
- Perennial, can live for several decades
- Fragrance
- Strong
- Deer and rabbits
- High
Signs it needs repotting
- Corm outgrowing the container
- Stagnant growth
- Soil becoming compacted
Safety
- People
- All parts of the plant are toxic if eaten due to high levels of calcium oxalate.
- Pets
- This plant is considered toxic to cats and dogs if ingested due to calcium oxalate crystals.
- Children
- Keep children away from the plant as the sap is irritating and the corm is toxic if ingested.
- Contact allergens
- The sap can cause skin irritation and rashes in sensitive individuals.
- Airborne allergens
- The intense odor during flowering may cause nausea or respiratory discomfort.
- Edibility
- The plant contains calcium oxalate crystals that cause severe irritation if ingested.
How to identify it
- Massive central spadix structure
- Large ruffled spathe petal
- Single giant compound leaf
- Fleshy tuberous root system
- Height
- 2 to 3m
- Spread
- 1.5 to 2.5m
- Leaves
- dark green, deciduous
- Flowers
- maroon, yellow, 100 to 300cm
- Fruit
- bright red, Late summer
Problems to watch for
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Growing it
- Propagation
- seed, corm division
- When to plant
- spring
- Overwintering
- Keep the corm warm and dry during its dormant period when the foliage has died back.
- In containers
- It requires an exceptionally large container or a dedicated greenhouse bed.
Seed
- 1. Clean the pulp from the berries.
- 2. Plant seeds in moist, well draining soil.
- 3. Keep warm and humid until germination.
This plant is best grown as a solitary specimen due to its extreme size and specific needs.
Similar species
- Voodoo Lily · A smaller relative that is much easier to grow in home gardens.
Science
- Family
- Araceae
- Genus
- Amorphophallus
- Order
- Alismatales
- Class
- Liliopsida
- Native range
- Sumatra, Indonesia
- Conservation
- It is listed as endangered in the wild due to habitat loss in Sumatra.
It grows in the rainforest understory where it relies on carrion beetles for pollination.
- Value to wildlife
- attracts carrion beetles and flies
- Pollinators
- beetles
- Uses
- botanical specimen, educational display
Through the year
Ecological indicators
- Salinity
- 1/9
- Soil reaction
- 6/9
- Light
- 6/9
- Temperature
- 9/9
- Moisture
- 7/9
- Nutrients
- 8/9
Taxonomy resolved against GBIF.
Questions people ask
- How often does it bloom?
- It blooms very rarely, often taking a decade or more to gather enough energy.
- Does it need a lot of space?
- Yes, it requires a very large greenhouse to accommodate its massive size.
Where the name comes from
The name Amorphophallus comes from Greek words meaning shapeless penis, referring to the spadix shape.
Good to know
- It is known as the corpse flower because of its foul smell.
- The corm can weigh over 100 kilograms.
- The bloom lasts only 24 to 48 hours.
- It is one of the largest unbranched inflorescences in the world.
Also in
Keep your titan arum growing
This page is a general guide. Save your plant in Pocket Botanist and you get care reminders timed for this plant, plus a care history that shows what worked.
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This guide was generated with AI on and checked against GBIF taxonomy. It is general information, not horticultural or veterinary advice. Read about how we build these guides.