July 2007 Titan Arum Blooming
 Rare "Corpse Flower" Blooms at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo
Watch the time-lapse video of the bloom:
Quicktime | Windows media | YouTube
Read the news release.
Cleveland Metroparks Zoo is proud to announce the rare blooming of its titan arum, which is believed to be one of the world's largest flowering plants. The plant bloomed in the early morning hours of Monday, July 23, 2007. It is expected to last for only a day, and it now stands taller than most people (see images below). Large crowds are expected to view the flower today in the Zoo's RainForest.
The Zoo has had its titan arum (Amorphophallus titanum) for 13 years, and this is the first time it bloomed. It was obtained in 1994 from the National Aquarium in Baltimore.
Its next bloom could be years down the line. While the blooming is glorious, it is accompanied by a pungent smell that lasts for about a day. Only 20 North American institutions have reported titan arums blooming. This is the first in the state of Ohio. The amazing progression of the plant, nicknamed Cronus, which grew up to four inches per day, is detailed below.
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 daily chronicle of the June-July blooming of their plant named Bella.
Latest Updates and Images:
Time-lapse video of blooming now available!
Choose format: Quicktime (16
MB) or Windows Media (11
MB)
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Date: Saturday, July 28, 2007
Farewell Cronus
All great things eventually come to and end and it looks as though Cronus' reign is over. The spadex collapsed some time between yesterday afternoon and this morning.
Horticulture staff has decided to keep Cronus on display in The RainForest at least for the rest of today. |
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Date: Friday, July 27, 2007
Standing tall
Cronus has not completely closed or collapsed yet, and you can still see the deep red color on the inside of the spathe. His spadex, now an olive color, appears to be shriveling and leaning ever so slightly, but it is still standing as you can see in the photo.
Cronus will remain on exibit in The RainForest at least through today. |
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Date: Thursday, July 26, 2007
Still hangin' in there
Can you believe it? Cronus' bloom is still in the process of closing up. Other than that, he remains impressive, seen here with Zoo education assistant Traci Lambert (you can catch Traci in the live animal show daily during the summer at the Zoo's Amphitheater).
If you want to watch Cronus bloom all over again, I've created a time-lapse video which covers about 48 hours, from Sunday morning, July 22 to Tuesday morning, July 24. It's in two formats: Quicktime or Windows Media.
So, obviously, you still have time to say farewell to Cronus while he continues to be on exhibit in The RainForest. |
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Date:
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
 Bloom withering and closing up
Cronus' bloom is beginning to wither and fade, but he still maintains his height and dignity. Today we caught him with General Maintenance staff member George Skarl to whom I am forever grateful for helping me rig up the time-lapse camera (video to be available here shortly). On behalf of the Zoo's Horticulture and Marketing staff, I'd also like to thank the over 7000 people who came to The RainForest since Sunday to see Cronus.
If you want to say farewell to Cronus, today may be your last chance. He no longer smells, but he remains on exhibit in The RainForest. |
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Date:
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
 Still in Bloom
Cronus is still in bloom this morning, but he appears to be withering. It's been over 24 hours and his smell has ended. Zoo volunteer Mike Clark confirmed that the odor is only noticeable when you get up close and was willing to get close enough for me to snap this photo.
If you want to catch a glimpse of Cronus' bloom before it fades for good, you can see it in the RainForest today but there are no guarantees on how long it will last. The Zoo is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. |
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Date:
Monday, July 23, 2007
 Height: 57 inches
Width: 32 inches
CRONUS BLOOMED!
Zoo Horticulture Manager Don Krock inspects the bloom, which opened early this morning. I don't know if Don is standing back from the smell or to take in the awesome view. Cronus' spathe is an amazing dark maroon color (see inset) that can only be appreciated in person. And, yes, it smells. Bad. The power of the odor is surpassed only by the beauty of the flower, which measures about 32 inches across. With a little technical luck, I hope to construct a timelapse video of the blooming within the week.
Take in the sight (and smell) of our titan arum today in The RainForest. The Zoo is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. |
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Date:
Sunday, July 22, 2007
 Height: ~57 inches
Width: ~11 inches
Cronus has not bloomed yet.
I came in early to check on Cronus this morning only to find he has still not opened. Unofficially, it may not happen until tomorrow. As always, any updates will be posted right here.
Cronus' height - 57 inches - has not changed from yesterday, and his width also remains about the same. More maroon color continues to appear on the outside of the spathe (see inset). I managed to catch a photo of Zoo educational interpreter Tony Wrobel having a conversation with Cronus to determine if tomorrow is the day. Cronus remained silent on the subject. Tony bravely took a sniff of Cronus, but could detect no foul odor. |
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Date:
Saturday, July 21, 2007
 Height: ~57 inches
Width: ~11 inches
Still No Bloom
Cronus has not bloomed yet. Horticulture staff informs me that we
may have to wait another 24 hours. As soon as I
have any updates, I will post here.
Cronus grew an inch overnight and changed quite a bit in
appearance today. The spadex has taken on a more
greenish color, and the spathe shows larger
areas of maroon on the outside.
Zoo volunteer Wendy Medla took time out from answering
RainForest visitors' questions to pose with Cronus
today (thanks Wendy!). His smell
is what I would describe as "earthy" or, perhaps,
"plant-like." Don't despair, I've been
reassured the odor upon bloom will be as bad
as they say. |
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Date: Friday, July 20, 2007
 Height: ~56 inches
Width: ~11 inches
No Bloom Yet
Again, very difficult to measure, but my cohorts assure me Cronus' spadex tops out slightly above 56 inches. Marketing and P.R. specialist Jo Clemens demonstrates exactly how difficult it is to read the tape. The stripe of maroon along the edge of Cronus' spathe is a bit wider today (see inset) and the bottom "bulb" has increased in size -- it appears to be bulging (I don't know if there's a technical term for that).
Horticulture staff is still predicticting a weekend bloom (Saturday or Sunday). For updates, please check this page or the Zoo's home page as I will post information about the blooming as soon as I have it. |
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Date: Thursday, July 19, 2007
Height: ~54.5 inches
Width: ~10 inches
Although it is becoming increasingly difficult to measure, I think it's another inch and a half to two inches for Cronus today, shown here with an unnamed Zoo marketing specialist (yes, that's me). Cronus' appearance and odor - none - have not changed much from yesterday, but I have counted more visitors: Zoo employees, volunteers, and others who've mentioned they came to The RainForest specifically to see Cronus bloom.
We're in the process of rigging up a time-lapse camera for the blooming event - hopefully all will go smoothly (fingers crossed). Stay tuned... |
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Date: Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Height: 53 inches
Width: 9.5 inches
Cronus, here with Zoo Volunteer Earl duChossois, added two more inches overnight. The spadex, now resembling praying hands, continues to gain height while the spathe appears to be slightly more "bulbous" (which may be more of an optical illusion caused by the increased height). Still there is no smell to record.
Cronus is receiving more and more visitors daily. Zoo visitors wishing to view the flower can now follow a well-marked path from The RainForest entrance. |
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Date: Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Height: 51 inches
Width: 9.5 inches
Cronus continues to grow at a slightly decelerated rate for the past two days -- about two inches per day now. Again, the spadex has gained height while the spathe has not changed much.
Cronus now resides in The RainForest on the ground floor for Zoo visitors to view. The expected bloom time remains between Friday, July 20 and Sunday, July 22. |
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Date: Monday, July 16, 2007
Height: 49 inches
Width: 9 inches
Zoo horticulturist Kevin Mackin poses with Cronus today, measuring in at a height of about 49 inches. Cronus is very similar in appearance to yesterday except with a bit more height to the of protruding spadex. So far, although we have been sniffing it daily, we have not noticed any odor at all.
Cronus will be moved from the greenhouse to The RainForest tomorrow morning for Zoo visitors to view. Horticulture Manager Don Krock is currently estimating Cronus' bloom to occur between Friday, July 20 and Sunday, July 22. |
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Date: Sunday, July 15, 2007
Height: 46.5 inches
Width: 9 inches
Cronus has added four more inches in height today, as you can see
from the photo with Zoo horticulturist Leo Mahoney.
The spadex is protruding much more from the cloak
of the spathe - note the stripe of
pinkish hue along the edge that raps around. Besides
the height, Cronus' most notable change today
is the outer leaves have completely peeled and
fallen away and the top of the stem is fully visible. |
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Date: Saturday, July 14, 2007
Height: 42.5 inches
Width: 9 inches
Cronus continues to grow about three to four inches per day. Again, the spadex is darker, almost eggplant-colored. The outer leaves have started to shrivel, and now the spathe is fully visible. Up close, you can see the reddish color of the eventual bloom.
Cronus' public debut is planned for Tuesday, July 17, in The RainForest. |
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Date: Friday, July 13, 2007
Height: 39 inches
Width: 8.5 inches
As you can see from the photo with Zoo horticulturist Theresa Thompkins,
Cronus' spadex, the central spike, is now protruding
even more from the spathe, the frilly sheath that
surrounds it and eventually becomes
the bloom. The spadex appears to have a darker,
slightly reddish-maroon color. Cronus has grown
another impressive four inches in height and
about a half an inch in width. |
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Date: Thursday, July 12, 2007
Height: 35 inches
Width: 8 inches
Cronus' central spike has grown three more inches in height since
yesterday, but perhaps more impressive is his width
which now measures eight inches across, a one-inch
increase from yesterday.
Zoo horticulturist Stuart Meyer, posing with Cronus in the photo, tells us that the public viewing spot in The RainForest is almost ready and the move is still planned for early next week, possibly Monday. |
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Date: Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Height: 32 inches
Width: 7 inches
Although still the same width, Cronus has grown four inches in height since yesterday, as you can see from our newest photo with Zoo Horticulture Manager Don Krock.
For now, Cronus has been moved inside the greenhouse to avoid any uncooperative Cleveland weather. Early next week, Horticulture staff plans to move Cronus to a location in The RainForest for public viewing. |
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Date: Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Height: 28 inches
Width: 7 inches
Today we got our first glimpse of Cleveland Metroparks Zoo's titan arum. The Zoo's Manager of Horticulture, Don Krock, took me up to see it outside his office. He decided to name it Cronus after the Greek titan from which both "Father Time" and the Grim Reaper get their visual representations -- for obvious reasons (i.e., the blooming time and the smell, which has been compared to "death").
Horticulture staff is planning on moving Cronus into the Zoo's working greenhouse for safe keeping over the next two weeks. When the blooming is imminent, it will be moved to a public viewing location yet to be determined. Stay tuned right here for all the information. |
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