7 Shocking Facts of Titan Arum – The Largest Native Flower in Sumatra

Titan arum is the largest native flower in Sumatra, Indonesia. This flower is famous and becomes the largest flower in the world which can bloom and grow up until about five meters. As one of the native plants of Indonesia, the flower is claimed as one of the best Indonesian national flowers in Indonesia.

The titan arum is one of the families of the taros tribe with its scientific name Amorphophallus Titanium Becc. The flower was discovered in 1878 by Odoardo Beccari in Sumatra, Indonesia. The flower has some similarities to the Rafflesia Arnoldii flower.

When the titan arum blooms, it has beautiful pink and green colors and the yellow part as pollen right in the middle of the flower. The smell of the flower is not like other flowers. It has stinky unique smell. If you live in Java Island, you can visit Bogor botanical garden in west java, Indonesia to see this flower.

Since the flower is well-known by people because of its charismatic and wonderful size, so many scientists have came to Indonesia to assess the flower for study purposes. When the titan arum blooms, it will make so many visitors come to see it.

This time we will take a look at some shocking facts of Titan Arum as the largest native flower in Sumatra.

1. Titan arum’s roots and bulbs can be food for human.

As we know the titan arum is a part of the taros family, so we can eat the bulbs. The bulbs have a purple color which looks so beautifully matched with its pink and green petals.

The bulbs are so tasty. It has a unique taste. Furthermore, not only you can eat the bulbs as the food, but the titan arum can also be used for medicine such as dietary supplements, cholesterol control, dietary fibers, and many more.

2. Titan arum needs 20 to 40 years to bloom.

It needs a long time for the titan arum to bloom perfectly. The blooming process needs vegetative and generative phases between the male flower and the female flower.

The process gets some help from insects or humans. The seed has red color and the petal can bloom in seven days.

3. Titan arum has a unique odor.

The odor of titan arum is a mixture of stinky, smelly, and sometimes so reek. This kind of odor is very unique compared to many other flowers in the world. Although the odor is so bad, it keeps engaging visitors to come to see the titan arum.

4. Titan arum has an enormous size.

Titan arum has an extraordinarily great size when it blooms. Titan arum’s weight can be up to 100 kilos just from its bulbs.

The bulbs can grow up to 5 meters or higher than that, and its petals can bloom up to 1.5 meters with 25 cm for its diameter.

For a flower this size is so unusual but wonderful. That is why the titan arum is also called a giant flower.

5. Titan Arum has a temperature.

As the titan arum blooms or sometimes it happens before blooming, it has a temperature that can reach up to 50 or 60 degrees.

From the center of its petals, some smoky fog will appear and spread to every corner of its mountain-like body.

6. Titan arum is on the red list.

In 2018, the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species put the titan arum on the red list and categorized it as an endangered flower.

The titan arum population has been decreasing for about 50% in Sumatra. It happens because of land degradation, illegal logging, and sometimes the titan arum’s habitat is destroyed by local people.

7. Protected by Indonesia government law.

Indonesia government law is very concerned about the titan arum. There is a legal regulation to protect the flower from extinction. The arrangement came from the Ministry of Environment and Forestry of the Indonesian Republic No. P.72/Menlhk-Setjen/2015.

Those are several shocking facts of titan arum, the largest native flower in Sumatra.

The species of titan arum is cultivated in many botanical gardens all around the world right now. Many scientists have used the titan arum as an object for researches.

Unfortunately, land degradation caused by oil palm plantations in Indonesia has became the first cause of the titan arum scarcity.

Since the population of the titan arum is decreasing year to year, we need to protect the titan arum. As a home for many rare flowers in Indonesia, we need to be concerned of our charismatic flowers which not every country has.

As Indonesians, we should be proud of natural treasures we have.