A rare and remarkable plant at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (RBGE) has stunned visitors by blooming for a record-equalling fifth time. Known for producing one of the world’s largest and most pungent flowers, the Amorphophallus titanum, or “corpse flower,” may have now flowered for the final time.
Record Fifth Bloom Draws Thousands to Edinburgh’s Botanic Garden
More than 2,700 visitors rushed to witness the blooming of the towering “corpse flower,” which reached a height of 2.65 meters. The plant, nicknamed “New Reekie” after Edinburgh’s old nickname “Auld Reekie,” emits a powerful odor similar to rotting flesh when in bloom. This scent, designed to attract insect pollinators, only lasts for a few days before the plant collapses. With its strong stench and impressive height, the event attracted huge crowds, raising nearly £4,000 in donations for RBGE’s ongoing restoration projects.
Will ‘New Reekie’ Flower Again, or Was This Its Final Show?
Staff at the RBGE have been nurturing New Reekie for over 21 years, and its fifth bloom matches the record held by a similar plant in the U.S. However, experts warn that this may have been the plant’s final bloom, as no specimen has flowered more than five times. Sadie Barber, RBGE’s research collections manager, expressed excitement about the plant’s recent bloom but hinted that it could be the last time the garden’s visitors experience this unique spectacle.
While the plant is now in dormancy, it may be years before anyone knows if New Reekie will bloom again.
3
0
