July 2007 Titan Arum Blooming

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 spadix 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.

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 spadix, 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 spadix 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.

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' spadix 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.

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...

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 spadix, 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.

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 spadix 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.

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 spadix. 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.

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 spadix 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.

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 spadix 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.

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' spadix, the central spike, is now protruding even more from the spathe, the frilly sheath that surrounds it and eventually becomes the bloom. The spadix 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.

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.

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.

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.