Perry the Corpse Flower, and the rest of the Gustavus Adolphus College community, hosted more than 5,000 visitors during the weekend of July 23-25, 2010. To see a brief video that captures images and comments from Perry visitors and volunteers, scroll down to the end of this article.
People came from near and far to see Perry’s second bloom in history. This rare, nearly 7-foot-tall flower located in the College’s Nobel Hall of Science greenhouse, started to open and emit its repulsive odor at about 11 p.m. Thursday, July 22; reached its peak on Friday night between 10 p.m. and Midnight; drew flies and curious visitors all day on Saturday; and then began its natural decline with obvious signs of wilting and less odor on Sunday, July 25.
Found in the tropical rainforests of Sumatra, Indonesia, the Corpse Flower (formally named Amorphophallus titanum) is the largest unbranched inflorescence in the world. The name comes from the repulsive scent it emits during its bloom.
Planted in 1993, Perry produced an inflorescence in May 2007 — the first Amorphophallus titanum (or Titan arum) to bloom in Minnesota.
The Corpse Flower came to the College when Professor of Chemistry Brian O’Brien received 20 seeds from a San Francisco physician named James Symon. After years of careful cultivation, the plant bloomed for the first time in 2007.
Go online to gustavus.edu/go/corpseflower for more information about Perry, including a live webcam, a live video stream, informational videos, a blog, photos, and more.
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