looking for a Rafflesia arnoldii I saw an interesting one....along with alot of others... it's the first one
http://www.divinecaroline.com/22167/37205
is anyone growing the Rafflesia arnoldii:
No, I don't grow this, but would if I could find a source to buy one!!!!
I don't think you'll find anyone growing this- it's a parasite plant that attaches itself to a certain vine that only grows in the rainforest.
It is awesome though, isn't it??
OH...I'll have to research that aspect of it... Gee ...I have to get an additional plant... sounds like something I might be able to talk myself into... I'm a pushover sometimes..
Thanks for sure...
This one's even difficult for experts to grow under careful climate control. On the other hand I have seen the very large amorphallus for sale at Plant Delights. :)
-Joe
Just remember, the larger the amorphallus the larger the horrid smell. Even the small ones are positively vile.
LOL Ardesia is right. I have a. konjac hiding down in the basement, waiting to surprise me in the early spring. It's the one time I might hope my night-blooming jessamine might be in full flower to mask the odor. :)
-Joe
NOTHING can mask that odor. LOL What's up with us gardeners actually paying money to grow plants that stink???
Isn't that odd? :) It smells like a three week old corpse, and we have to have it. :) I wanted a. konjak badly. Lo and behold a friend of mine was given one, as a gift. She had no clue what it was, but it kept multiplying for her, so she gave me one. :)
I was *destined* to have my stinky flower. DESTINED, I tell you. :)
Good to see you, and how have you been? My bananas didn't freeze this year until December 2nd. I'm hoping it'll be a mild winter, and I have a HUGE clump of banana corms to dig out next spring. :)
-Joe
Oh, and I'm OK. I just realized I told you about my plants ... That's another peculiarity of ours. :)
-Joe
LOL
There is something that can mask that odor. Prevention. If you don't like the smell, or don't like to use something like this to get kids to become more interested in plants, just cut the flower off before it opens. The leaf will develop sooner and the plant won't waste all of its energy to reproduce.
I grow them for their wonderful tropical appearance.
They're grown in India and Asia for their edible tuber.
You can also spray the bloom with water to get rid of the smell, I've heard.
Rafflesia arnoldii would be virtually impossible to grow by a collector unless you own an extremely sophisticated greenhouse.
It actually lives inside a vine and cannot survive without the host. During the dormant period it withdraws completely inside the host and is no longer visible according to the botanists I have spoken with about the species. I have a friend in Hawaii who has seen it in the wild in Sumatra but he dared not attempt to grow despite the fact he owns one of the largest collections of rare tropical plants in Hawaii.
I am not aware of a single botanical garden that grows this plant. The Missouri Botanical Garden had a specimen in the early 1990's but I am there every few months and have access to the research greenhouses and not one word has ever been said about the plant.
This message was edited May 4, 2010 1:13 AM
I sent a note last night to Rafaël Govaerts at the Royal Botanic Garden Kew in London. If any garden knows how to grow this species it would be the Kew. It appears the host vine is not difficult to grow but no one knows how to germinate the seeds, "Seed has been sown on Tetrastigma and in vitro of Rafflesia species but none ever germinated. Tetrastigma is easy to grow and one of my favorite house plants. It is however not know what triggers germination of the Rafflesia."
Additionally, all of the known species of Rafflesia are threatened or endangered. It is a "Totally Protected Plant" by law in Sarawak but in Malaysia it is only safeguarded by laws when found in protected areas like National or State Parks.
It is likely seeds would be difficult to find but even if possible no one knows how to germinate them.
Steve
This message was edited May 4, 2010 7:25 AM
That's very interesting! Thanks for finding that out for us.