Amorphphallus titanum Beginning to Bloom in Berkeley!!

Horticultural staff at the UC Berkeley Botanical Garden in Berkeley, CA are predicting that the Amorphophallus titanum in the Tropical House is likely going to bloom sometime around 8/3 or 8/4. If you're in the area, please come up and see it. You can also get more info and/or view it on our website at http://botanicalgarden.berkeley.edu/ Neat plant!

Oh, I want to see this one this time, I missed the last one. I am hoping it's open on the 3rd, I figure the weekend would be way too crowded.

I'll have to try and get up there to see it! Are they selling nose plugs at the door or should we bring our own? LOL

HEHEHEHEHE!!! As of Tuesday, it was 42" tall. Per the website, it grew an additional 3" overnight and is now 45" tall! It's not at all open yet - it looks like Audrey from Little Shop of Horrors.

This message was edited Jul 25, 2007 7:24 PM

Titania is now 55" tall; projected flowering date is August 8.

I am coming tomorrow to see it. I can't wait!!!

Neat! I won't be there though. It's supposed to bloom about August 8. As of today it's over 5 ft tall!

I am coming back Marilyn and we can have lunch at Sauls.

You've got a deal!

Sounds good.

I went today and had a grand time. Loved every minute! Went with a gal who had never been before. She loved it too.

It was a beautiful day.

Enjoyed by all.

Glad you had a great time! I love to go down to the Asian pool and watch the turtles, snakes and newts. It's so peaceful down there with the waterfalls.

Well, it's close, they think it's stalled because of the cooler weather, they had rain yesterday, was cold today too.

skirt

amazing growth chart, it reached 6 ft this morning.

I've been watching from home too. I figured it was the cooler weather that stalled it out. Hopefully it'll bloom in the next day or two.

Started opening!!!!

It opened last night/this morning. Because our director pollinated it this morning it's already almost closed up again. I wish we would have had a few days of it being open. It certainly was an attractor. LOTS of new people came to the Garden today.

Definitely a fun plant, and you meet such interesting people there.

Glad we made it!

Stuck my nose down there, stinky but the room was not bad at all, more of a musky scent.

The one my wife made smells better!

Any chance it'll still be worth looking at this weekend? I don't think my boss would understand me skipping work to go see it during the week, so that'll be my first chance but if it's not going to be worth seeing by then I'd rather not drive all the way up there (not sure I can make it anyway, but would like to try if it's still going to be worth seeing!)

It was closing quite fast as you can see by today's images online. Not sure how long it last before it collapses.

That's what I was afraid of! Oh well, maybe someone will have one next year and I can catch it then.

Gee George, I met some real weird people there myself.

Keep looking at their website Liz, they post pictures daily. I was a bit disappointed myself today. It was not in full glory but definitely cool.

Yeah, I've been following their pictures online and enjoying everyone's that are posted here, but I was hoping to see it in person too. :-(

Oh, I meant look at the pics to judge if it is worth a trip down Saturday. Though I would say I doubt it. It is fading fast. One of the powers to be said the biggest leafed one there would probably bloom next year.

PS George, you wife is an artist! Her quilts are realy fantastic.

Kell, you should see her other ones, they are stunning! I saw them in person.

That's a quilt, George? WOW!! Your wife's AWESOME! Let me know when there's another quilt show - I'd love to see it.

Titania is closing fast because our director decided to pollinate it. He knew it would close fairly quickly but I don't think he realized just how fast. I don't think he'll do that again soon - not as many people will be able to come and see it. I was told that it didn't stink as bad as it usually does because the weather was so cool.

Even seeing just the size of the leaf of the juvenile plant is exciting. As faeden will gladly tell you, there is more than enough at the gardens to enthrall you, even without a stinky bloom.

And it is such a big money maker I would think. Plus selling so much from the plant deck with all the traffic. Why with Lali alone they made enough to fund the entire garden for a year.

I personally love the mottled stem. So cool.

I expected so much more at the base.

LOL!! I only had about a dozen C&S plants left on the plant deck when I came in this morning.

I like the way the flower and leaves look too.

I love the pleating, looks like fabric.

So cool for sure.

Hey pretty Sue, check your email. I need the name of that bamboo so I can research it.