https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/corpse-flower-california * Want to see fewer ads? Become a Member. * Trips + Upcoming Trips + All Trips Trips Blog [second-edi] Get the Atlas Obscura book Shop Now >> Upcoming Trips View All Trips >> [blank-11b9] Afloat the Erie Canal: A Self-Led Houseboat Adventure [blank-11b9] Rewilding: Tracking Wolves in the Forests of Sweden [blank-11b9] Lisbon: Tracing the Roots of an Imperial Cuisine [blank-11b9] Nova Scotia: Maritime Lyrics & Lore * Experiences Quick Links + Online Courses + Online Experiences Upcoming Experiences View All Experiences >> [blank-11b9] Online On Travel & Stillness: Lessons & Hopes for the Post-Pandemic World With Pico Iyer [blank-11b9] Online Passengers and Presidents: Inside Washington DC's Union Station [blank-11b9] Online Atlas Obscura Trivia Night [blank-11b9] Online Natural Dyes: Creating a Plant-Based Palette With Aaron Sanders Head * Places + Top Destinations + Newly Added Places + Most Popular Places + Random Place + Lists + Itineraries + ------------------------------------------------------------- Add a Place + ------------------------------------------------------------- Visit Our Forums Newly Added Places View All Places >> 'Dwellings' seen at eye level New York, New York 'Dwellings' at the Breuer Building 40.7734, -73.9638 [blank-11b9] Bucak, Turkey Susuz Caravanserai 37.3781, 30.5401 The Viking Unst Project and Skidbladner Haroldswick, Scotland The Viking Unst Project and Skidbladner 60.7853, -0.8343 The Museum entrance. Przhevalsk, Kyrgyzstan Przhevalskiy Museum 42.5730, 78.3210 Top Destinations View All Destinations >> Countries + Australia + Canada + China + France + Germany + India + Italy + Japan Cities + Amsterdam + Barcelona + Beijing + Berlin + Boston + Budapest + Chicago + London + Los Angeles + Mexico City + Montreal + Moscow + New Orleans + New York City + Paris + Philadelphia + Rome + San Francisco + Seattle + Stockholm + Tokyo + Toronto + Vienna + Washington, D.C. * Foods Newly Added Places to Eat & Drink View All Places to Eat >> [blank-11b9] The Cayetano Juarez Adobe [blank-11b9] Hiakai Arizona Sake is easy to miss. Arizona Sake The hamburger vending machine. Tateishi Burger Vending Machine [blank-11b9] Luoshan Organic Tofu Farm * Stories Most Recent Stories View All Stories >> Tracking the small spiders involves quick, careful work. The Fiddly Business of Tracking Australia's Most Venomous Spider Pneumonia fronts may be accompanied by low shelf clouds, and may travel several miles inland from Lake Michigan. What the Heck Is a Pneumonia Front? A newly decorated Ganseliesel Podcast: Re-Up Your Luck A slice of Wildflour's (current-day) Caked Alaska. The Return of Karachi's Legendary 'Caked Alaska' At the museum, Elvis is alive and well. Philadelphia's Neon King Gets a Glowing Castle * Videos Most Recent Videos View All Videos >> [blank-11b9] Meet the Experimental Violinist Forging Her Own Path Sponsored by Nissan [blank-11b9] A Parachutist's Wise Philosophy Sponsored by Nissan [blank-11b9] The Stilt Houses of Pasco County Sponsored by Florida's Sports Coast [blank-11b9] How a Blacksmith in Jordan Created His Own Sign Language 9:02 [blank-11b9] In Naples, Praying With Skulls Is an Ancient Tradition 7:28 * Sign In Join * Sign In ----------------------------------------------------------------- Join * What's near me? Brought to you by [delta_logo] How a Giant, Stinky, Delightful Corpse Flower Got to an Abandoned Gas Station It was all thanks to a gardener, a wagon, and a sense of pandemic-era camaraderie. by Jessica Leigh Hester June 1, 2021 How a Giant, Stinky, Delightful Corpse Flower Got to an Abandoned Gas Station Copy Link Facebook Twitter Reddit Flipboard Pocket Just doing its corpse flower thing. Just doing its corpse flower thing. Courtesy Solomon Leyva In This Story [blank-11b9] Destination Guide Alameda As the coronavirus pandemic ushered people into their homes, worlds contracted to the ecosystems contained within four walls and whatever nearby landscapes one might encounter on a walk. Confinement didn't quash curiosity, though, and many people became diarists of their own humble, local wildernesses. Some chronicled the way that buds gave way to flowers. Others picked up binoculars and met the neighborhood birds. More humans logged interspecies encounters on the iNaturalist app last year than ever before. Many of us doted on houseplants, but probably not the way that Solomon Leyva did. Leyva lives in Alameda, California, an island just west of Oakland, where he raises and sells cacti, succulents, and rare plants. One of Leyva's pandemic-era pals was a titan arum ( Amorphophallus titanum), a gargantuan plant better known as the corpse flower on account of the unmistakably unsavory stench of its blooms. The plant usually shows off like this only once every several years--and when it does, its glorious fringe wilts after just a day or two. So, when Leyva's titan arum bloomed in May, he lugged it onto a wagon and rolled it to a patch of asphalt in front of an abandoned gas station, so human neighbors could come say hello. Atlas Obscura talked to Leyva about caring for the plant, gas station gawking, and cultivating patience. Is titan arum a finicky plant? How do you grow it? The plant lives in a giant, twin-wall polycarbonate greenhouse that's about 3,000 square feet. I'm able to control the climate somewhat inside the greenhouse. This particular species isn't very hard to grow at all: It likes to stay above 60 degrees, but it can go below that. It just doesn't want to freeze. I have heat mats, and run them at 75 degrees, 24 hours a day. When it's growing, you really want to feed it a lot. Before it flowered, it was getting watered three times a week--soaked all the way through. I use a hose that's connected to my well, and the water is usually around pretty neutral acidity. They like a lot of calcium, and there's dozens of liquid fertilizers that can provide that. I was using just this cheap, generic plant food, but it was getting a little bit every single time it got watered. This plant has filled its 25-gallon pot. Usually when you see one of these, you'll see that [the custodians] either constructed or purchased a giant pot for the bulb to be in. I think what happens is a lot of the water and nutrients escapes the bulb through the medium around it. I can put it in a pot five times this size and it would look normal, but I'm not planning on doing that. This one, whenever I water it or fertilize it, it's getting most of [the nutrients] because there's nowhere else for the stuff to go. In Sumatra, where it's grown, the land is very rich, so that's what it wants. Once you get [plants] in a controlled environment, you can accelerate the growth on almost anything. This particular plant bloomed three years ago, and it was already ready to do it again. I've kept titan arums for years in my greenhouse. I've had three mature ones in the past, and I currently have 16 or 18 of the plants. This particular one hasn't been with me forever, but I've always had them around. They're pretty indestructible. The only enemy they have is nematodes. The bloom is brilliant and brief.The bloom is brilliant and brief. Courtesy Solomon Leyva When did you realize that it was about to bloom? When the stalk came out. It's almost conical, or the shape of a spear. It came up sort of oblong, fat on one side and tilted. So you know right off the bat, "That's going to be a bud and a bloom." The lack of symmetry is what gave it away. What has the pandemic been like for you? Did it change your relationship to plants? I think a few things are happening at once. I think people are less enthusiastic about having children, but they still have the need to nurture; I feel like all the people getting into plants now are sort of doing it in lieu of having children. And I think the human species has lost its connection to nature, and it's passionately trying to get that back. And I don't think it was just the pandemic. I quit my job doing logistics for a high-end antiques company [in favor of selling plants] because [demand was so high] it was costing me money to go to work. That was already happening before the pandemic. Plant sales had been up since before this happened. And then when COVID happened--people being stuck at home and looking for things to do--my sales went up 300 percent, at least. I've sort of found myself shuffled into a life of symbiosis: I care for a massive collection of plants and they care for me by providing seeds and cuttings that I sell to pay my bills. So I'm caring for them, they're caring for me. Since I was young, I felt like I just didn't fit in on Earth at all. I mean, I failed from second grade all the way up to sophomore year. All my grades were Ds and Fs. I didn't get along with school. I didn't get along with anything. All I ever did was as a kid was catch bugs and lizards and look at plants, and I had two treehouses. Then I got sidetracked with all this school bullshit and career bullshit. I thought for a while that I was wrong and that I just needed to pursue work, but then I ended up finding out that, nope, I was right--we're supposed to be connected to nature, and it's good for us. I'm happily working with plants now. The plant thrived in the greenhouse before Leyva loaded it up onto a wagon and wheeled it out to meet some neighbors. The plant thrived in the greenhouse before Leyva loaded it up onto a wagon and wheeled it out to meet some neighbors. Courtesy Solomon Leyva What made you decide to take the flower out on the town? What's the point in having it? It was only going to bloom for a day--I mean, I have to share it. I don't know what else I would have done. There's a really great, cute little community in the city that I live in, and I just thought everybody would enjoy seeing it. I was out from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., and again the next day. The first day, it was really cold and [the plant] wasn't enthusiastic about opening all the way. The second day, it had been in my greenhouse and opened more. Everybody was fascinated and happy--they've had their [vaccine] shots and are wanting to come out. The cute Art Deco gas station that's been out of commission for over 30 years across from city hall--I couldn't think of any better place to bring it. Everywhere else has sidewalks or patio seating for restaurants. Also, I had to put in a wagon and was pulling it down the street, and I didn't want to go across town. I couldn't fit it in my van; it was too tall. I'm 5-foot-10, and it was a few inches shorter than me. Nearly everyone remarked about the smell, but some didn't find the smell until it wafted up with the breeze. Everyone took their mask off to smell it. I let kids play with it, dogs jump up on it. There's no sense in protecting something that's only going to live for a day. Everybody just has their memory, and that's all you get. What better way to say goodbye to the pandemic than to watch a corpse flower bloom? What's the plant up to now? I beheaded it and left the bloom there and took the rest of the plant home. People played with [the bloom] for a few days--I saw some little kid holding it, and an old lady took some petals and made an ink print and made some art with it. I think everyone really needs to learn how to take care of plants. Everyone needs to learn how to plant something, wait for it, grow it--there are so many metaphors in life that are tied to understanding and the process of growing things from seed and watching them mature. I'm going to do another event in my city. I'm trying to get a bunch of kids to plant. I just feel like every kid should understand growing and patience and that what you do has an effect on things. The whole stalk turns into pus and fiber and other mucus-y-like substances, and then dries out, then it'll sleep for a while. After a bloom like this, it should go dormant for a while--a few months, if not an entire year, where it doesn't do anything. It's probably really tired and spent. This interview has been edited and condensed. Read next Podcast: Clausland Mountain Tunnels Join us for a daily celebration of the world's most wondrous, unexpected, even strange places. [blank-11b9] pandemichorticultureflowersplants Want to see fewer ads? Become a Member. Want to see fewer ads? Become a Member. Using an ad blocker? We depend on ad revenue to craft and curate stories about the world's hidden wonders. Consider supporting our work by becoming a member for as little as $5 a month. Continue Using Ad-Block Support Us Keep Exploring [blank-11b9] art Meet the Artist Making Fauna Out of Flora Raku Inoue is now finding inspiration for his precise, ephemeral works in his backyard. Winnie Lee May 28, 2020 [blank-11b9] roads Tumbleweeds Usually Tumble, But Sometimes They Tornado Matt McKnight caught a botanical maelstrom on camera in Eastern Washington. Jessica Leigh Hester May 4, 2020 [blank-11b9] horticulture Preserve Your Quarantine Nature Walks With a DIY Herbarium Pressed plants can be your journal of the pandemic. Jessica Leigh Hester April 28, 2020 [blank-11b9] botanical gardens In Kaua'i, Botanists Rediscover an Extinct Plant Once Mistaken for Another Extinct Plant Just another day in Hawaiian conservation. Sabrina Imbler February 28, 2020 [W1siZiIsIj] Video * Wonder From Home See the World Through Its Windows 1:44 [W1siZiIsIj] Video * PinDrop The Spectacular Beauty of China's Red Beach 1:22 [W1siZiIsIj] Video The Wonderful World of a Garden Dedicated to Gourds 9:47 Want to see fewer ads? Become a Member. From Around the Web Related The Careful Work of Breathing Life Into the Corpse Flower In botanic gardens, the lineage of a famously smelly plant is threatened. What can save it? Read more [blank-11b9] [] We Need Your Help Support Atlas Obscura today so we can share wonder tomorrow. Become a Member Get Our Email Newsletter [ ] [Subscribe] Thanks for subscribing! View all newsletters >> Follow Us * * * * * Places * Recently Added * Most Popular * Random * Nearby * Add a Place Foods * Latest * Food & Drink * Stories * Places * Add a Food Trips * All Trips * Trips Blog * Art & Culture Trips * Food Trips * Hidden City Trips * History Trips * Photography Trips * Wildlife & Nature Trips * FAQ Experiences * All Experiences * Online Experiences * Online Courses * FAQ Community * Membership * Travel Forum * Latest Posts * Top Posts Company * About * Contact Us * FAQ * Work With Us * Advertising * Unique Gifts * Privacy Policy * Cookie Policy * Terms of Use [] (c) 2021 Atlas Obscura. All rights reserved. Questions or Feedback? Contact Us Thanks for sharing! Follow us on Twitter to get the latest on the world's hidden wonders. Like us on Facebook to get the latest on the world's hidden wonders. Follow us on Twitter Like us on Facebook Want a Free Book? Sign up for our newsletter and enter to win the second edition of our book, Atlas Obscura: An Explorer's Guide to the World's Hidden Wonders. [ ] Subscribe No Thanks Visit AtlasObscura.com Atlas Obscura: An Explorer's Guide to the World's Hidden Wonders Stay in Touch! Follow us on social media to add even more wonder to your day. Follow us on Twitter Like us on Facebook Follow Us on Instagram No Thanks Visit AtlasObscura.com No purchase necessary. Winner will be selected at random on 07/01/ 2021. Offer available only in the U.S. (including Puerto Rico). Offer subject to change without notice. See contest rules for full details. Add Some Wonder to Your Inbox Every weekday we compile our most wondrous stories and deliver them straight to you. [ ] Subscribe No Thanks We'd Like You to Like Us Like Atlas Obscura and get our latest and greatest stories in your Facebook feed. No Thanks This website uses cookies Atlas Obscura and our trusted partners use technology such as cookies on our website to personalise ads, support social media features, and analyse our traffic. Please click below to consent to the use of this technology while browsing our site. To learn more or withdraw consent, please visit our cookie policy. I Accept [p] Quantcast