Giant penis plant in bloom again after ten years in Hortus Leiden | Inland

The so-called Amorphophallus titanum, literally translated ‘gigantic shapeless penis’, is more than two meters in size, excluding the pot. “A much more clumsy plant. A real monster”, Van Vugt describes. In October, a smaller, but rarer penis plant bloomed in the Netherlands for the first time in 24 years. “It was slightly less spectacular because of its size, but very special.”

On Thursday evening, the Amorphophallus titanum will be pollinated with the pollen that Hortus received from a botanical garden in Belgium. “And with a bit of luck, another giant penis plant will bloom here with us in a month. Then we pollinate that second plant again with the pollen we get from this calyx.” In nature, flies or beetles spread the pollen to other penis plants, which are attracted by the smell.

The pungent stench is no reason for visitors not to visit the plant, says Van Vugt. “It’s a fake smell, there’s no real rotting flesh. So it’s similar to the smell of roses, only then we think it doesn’t smell nice. We see that people often like to experience it.”

The giant penis plant originates from the rainforests of West Sumatra. The plant is under threat because its natural habitat is under severe pressure. “All botanical gardens can produce seeds if necessary by pollinating plants in the gardens. So if the giant penis plant ever goes extinct in the wild, it can be back in nature within a short time,” says Van Vugt. “But as long as he’s there, we’ll leave him alone, without human interference.”