The "Cronus" Chronicles
The Blooming of a Titan Arum, May 2010
Rare "Corpse Flower" Blooms Again
at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo
The Zoo has had its titan arum (Amorphophallus titanum), nicknamed "Cronus," for 16 years. It first bloomed in July 2007. Cronus was obtained in 1994 from the National Aquarium in Baltimore.
While the blooming of a titan arum is glorious, it is accompanied by a pungent smell that lasts for about a day. In 2007, we chronicled the amazing progression of the plant, which grew up to four inches per day. Here we chronicle the May 2010 growth and bloom. We've also created a time-lapse video that spans the first two days of the bloom.
For more information, the UNC-Charlotte Botanical Gardens in Charlotte, North Carolina has a great overview and FAQ about the titan arum as well as a chronicle of the June-July 2007 blooming of their plant named Bella.
Latest Updates and Images:
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Date: Thursday, May 20, 2010
Farewell Cronus
All great things must one day end, even our titan. Cronus collapsed today -- the spadix fell over some time between yesterday afternoon and this morning. Unlike last time, the color of the spadix did not turn olive -- it remained reddish. Horticulture staff has decided to keep Cronus on display in The RainForest at least for the rest of today.
We now have a time-lapse video available for you to watch Cronus bloom in all his glory again and again. |
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Date: Tuesday, May 18, 2010
You still have time to see Cronus - he is standing tall but slowly closing up. He is still showing his brilliant color, and the inside of the spathe is not yet completely hidden from view. But there is no lingering odor to speak of.
We are in the process of pulling together a time-lapse video of about 30 hours of his blooming. Stay tuned right here for that. |
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Date: Monday, May 17, 2010
Closing up and only slightly stinky
All great things must one day come to an end but today is not yet the day for Cronus. The spathe is folding inward but has not closed up fully and you can still catch a glimpse or a photo of the beautiful deep red color. If you get close, the titan arum's "decaying corpse" smell is still lingering, even in this state.
 Our brave models today are Marketing staff members Amanda Majewski and Ryan Eedy. They only stood next to Cronus for a brief moment before scrambling away from the odor. We don't expect the bloom to last much longer (inset shows how the petal is folding in), so get here soon if you've not seen it yet.
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Date: Sunday, May 16, 2010
Height: ~61 inches
Width: ~51 inches
Cronus is in full bloom this morning after starting to open yesterday evening. His stinkiness is also in full bloom today as we listened to comments made from Zoo staff who came by to take a look (and a whiff).
 Cronus appears to have a more spectacular bloom than in 2007. The flower measures about 51 inches across and looks fuller and even a little redder in color than last time. The only descriptive word we can come up with is "brilliant" -- maybe even "luminescent" -- and hope that everyone gets a chance to see it today. The inset is a shot from above showing the depth and expanse of the spathe in its open state. The bloom will likely last today and tomorrow (Monday) before it begins to close up.
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Date: Saturday evening, May 15, 2010
Height: ~61 inches
Width: much larger than 14.5 inches
Cronus began to bloom late today, on Plant Conservation Day. Unfortunately, he began to open as Zoo visitors were leaving and the Zoo had closed for the day. But don't fret. Manager of Horticulture, Don Krock, expects Cronus to be in full bloom when the Zoo opens at 10 a.m. tomorrow morning (Sunday).
 Here we see the beginning of the titan arum's bloom process but it still has a long way to go. The inset shows the beautiful color you will see on the inside of the spathe. But beauty comes at a price, and the stench that gives the "Corpse Flower" its name was noticeable if you stood "downwind." Tomorrow we expect the odor to permeate much of The RainForest. In the photo is horticulturist Stuart Meyer who predicted Cronus would bloom today.
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Date: Saturday, May 15, 2010
Height: ~61 inches
Width: ~14.5 inches
Measuring Cronus accurately has proved to be quite a challenge for us this year from our limited low vantage point. He appears to have grown another inch in 24 hours. Our measuring tape reader today was the tallest person I could find in The RainForest this morning -- Animal Keeper Brad Poynter. Even Brad couldn't get a perfectly-accurate reading, but all parties present agreed it's definitely greater than 60 inches and maybe over 61.
At any rate, Cronus IS slowing down in height growth and looking more bulbous at the midsection of the spathe -- it is very similar to the way things progressed in 2007 just before he bloomed. The Zoo's Horticulture staff is still predicting a bloom in one or two days.
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Date: Friday, May 14, 2010
Height: ~60 inches
Width: ~14 inches
Cronus may have "maxed out" at about 60 inches today. He appears to be the same height and width as yesterday which may indicate that a blooming is imminent.
Today we didn't have a measuring tape, so we used a "measuring person," Cleveland Zoological Society Special Events Manager Rachael Fuller who "tops out" around 60 inches. Assisting her in the photo is Zoo horticulturist Stuart Meyer who has been keeping an ever-watchful eye on Cronus and predicts the bloom will be in the next two days. But stay tuned here for the latest. |
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Date: Thursday, May 13, 2010
Height: 60 inches
Width: 14 inches
Cronus, being measured here by Zoo Guest Services staff member Dan Powers, is still growing but slowing down. Today he reached 60 inches -- 1.5 inches more than yesterday.
 What we have noticed is that he is getting "fatter" -- across, he measures about one inch wider than yesterday. Another noticeable difference is that the tip of Cronus' spadix appears to be lightening -- we have been told that it was a darker color yesterday and now it appears to be a lighter green (see inset). |
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Date: Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Height: 58.5 inches
Width: 13 inches
Cronus added some height over the past 24 hours. He now stands at 58 inches, and only the tallest of our Zoo staff can measure him, such as Animal Keeper Joe Ropelewski, shown here. Cronus is now officially taller than he ever was in 2007 and we are still expecting him to bloom shortly.
We've installed a time-lapse camera to photograph Cronus once every minute so we don't miss a thing, especially if he blooms overnight like he did last time. |
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Date: Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Height: 55.5 inches
Width: 12 inches
The Zoo's Horticulture staff moved Cronus to The RainForest this morning where Zoo visitors can now see him. We can't say whether he's "maxed out" but he does seem to have reached a stand-still at 55.5 inches.
While checking on Cronus' new residence, we rounded up the Zoo's horticulture and facilities staff to pose with him. From left to right are Tim Peters, George Skarl, Jean Lang, Mike Bonezzi, Dan Knotek (the only one tall enough to hold the measuring tape) and Mike O'Brien.
The Zoo's Manager of Horticulture, Don Krock, expects Cronus to bloom sometime in the next seven days. |
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Date: Monday, May 10, 2010
Height: 55.5 inches
Width: 12 inches
The Zoo's titan arum, shown here being measured by Zoo Marketing intern Ryan Eedy (we are now choosing our measurers for their height), has reached 55.5 inches. That's another three inch of growth since yesterday. He is approximately 12 inches wide.
It's obvious to us that Cronus' spadix is looking much different than the last time he bloomed. In addition to being darker, it has more "folds." |
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Date: Sunday, May 9, 2010
Height: 52.5 inches
Width: 11 inches
Cronus, shown here being measured by Pebbles Bush, has grown over ten inches in three days. All the growth appears to be in the spadix. The enclosing leaves have all but shriveled and fallen off and there is still no odor to report.
 We can see the reddish color of the inside of the spathe along the edge where it wraps around itself (see inset).
We expect Cronus to be moved to The RainForest sometime this week. Stay tuned to find out when he'll be on display to the public. |
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Date: Thursday, May 6, 2010
Height: 42 inches
Width: 9.5 inches
Cronus has grown another four inches since yesterday. We can now fully appreciate the dark reddish/maroon color of the central spike. The outer leafy shell has pulled back even further to reveal more of the spathe surrounding it. We can see how the "front" has a section that folds over. The growth rate is very similar to that of 2007 and the big difference we notice is that the spike appears to be a darker color. |
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Date: Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Height: 38 inches
Width: 9.5 inches
It's Cinco de Mayo and Cronus is celebrating by growing another three inches. He was measured about four hours earlier than the time the other two measurements were taken, but three inches is still substantial growth.
 The newest difference that we can note from yesterday is in the appearance of the spadix. Its color appears to be shifting toward what can only be described as a "reddish green" (if that's even chromatically possible). The inset photo is a close-up that illustrates this color change a little better. The outer leaf is shriveling away and Cronus looks just slightly wider than yesterday.
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Date: Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Height: 35 inches
Width: 9 inches
Just as he did in 2007, Cronus is growing rapidly. Today he has reached a height of 35 inches and is still about 9 inches wide. Outside the greenhouse, we ambushed Cleveland Metroparks Zoo's Assistant Operations Specialist, Al Martin, to pose with Cronus and the measuring tape.
Comparing to the last progression to bloom, there are many other similarities to note:
- There is still not odor to speak of -- and we don't expect it until bloom day.
- The spadix (the central spike) is where the height growth occurs, and it is revealing a darker green color beneath the spathe (the "petal").
- Four inches of growth per day is typical.
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Date: Monday, May 3, 2010
Height: 31 inches
Width: 9 inches
Circumference: 29 inches
Today we got our latest glimpse of Cleveland Metroparks Zoo's titan arum, Cronus, shown here with Zoo horticulturist Pebbles Bush. The last time we saw Cronus, he was in the leaf stage -- something which is also quite spectacular (read the blog).
Horticulture staff has been caring for Cronus in the Zoo's working greenhouse since his last blooming in July 2007, and we are told he has been fertilized with "ZooPoo" compost. For the blooming, Cronus will be moved to a public viewing location in The RainForest. Please stay tuned right here for the latest information. |
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