|
A STINKY STORYEdited by Madelyn Miller, the travelLadyMore than a Tree Grows in Brooklyn! Witness the Makings of
Botanical History Plus Track the Plant’s Amazing Seven-inch Per Day Growth Online at bbg.org/titan
What: After more than 10 years of cultivation, the extraordinary plant Amorphophallus titanum will bloom for the first time at BBG. Titan arum boasts three chart-topping peculiarities: it is one of the world’s largest flowers; it is an Indonesian species that is endangered in the wild and rare in cultivation; and one of the most malodorous plants with a trademark carrion odor that has been likened to anything from dirty socks to the Gowanus Canal on a hot day. The plant is commonly called the corpse flower due to the strong odor it emits to attract fly, beetle, and sweat bee pollinators. The plant also grows an incredible five to seven inches a day! This is the first-ever flowering of one of these rare and threatened plants at Brooklyn Botanic Garden and the first time one has bloomed in New York since 1939. BBG’s titan arum is also distinguished because it was grown from seed. The plant is so rare that plant experts in search of the flower have commented that one could repeatedly search the equatorial tropical rainforests of Sumatra – the only native habitat for the titan plant – and still never find it there. The historic blooming also offers BBG another opportunity, albeit an extraordinary one, to showcase the Garden’s dedication to its mission to educate, pursue scientific research, display plants and practice the high art of horticulture, and to actively arouse public awareness of the fragility of our natural environment – and provide information about ways to conserve and protect it. Where: 1000 Washington Avenue, Brooklyn, NY. A special exhibit in the Garden’s world-famous C.V. Starr Bonsai Museum will house the titan’s blooming phenomenon beginning Friday, August 4, 2006. Free with Garden admission, visitors are encouraged to come often to witness and compare the unusual and rapid growth of the plant—culminating in a bloom that can reach up to nine feet in height and only last for a few days. Related to the Calla Lily and the philodendron, the Amorphophallus starts life as an enormous tuber and produces a single giant leaf petiole, which can reach up to 20 feet in height and width. From a strict botanical sense, the large blossom is not a true flower but rather an inflorescence – or collection of flowers. The cream-colored spike or spadex will turn reddish, and as it reaches maturity, the spathe opens to form a vast, ribbed, frilly-edged trumpet – greenish on the outside and reddish on the inside. BBG’s world-class Horticulture staff affectionately named the Amorphophallus “Baby” because it reflects the tender loving care and nurturing that Foreman of Conservatories Mark Fisher, Plant Propagator Alessandro Chiari, and the team of BBG gardeners and horticulturists devoted to the plant over the last decade. Because the cultivation needs of the plant are so demanding and specialized, botanical gardens provide a rare opportunity for the public to enjoy and appreciate this threatened species. When: “Baby” is ESTIMATED to bloom beginning Thursday, August 10. Track the plant’s minute by minute progress on the live video cam (available soon) on bbg.org/titan. Media: Watch “Baby” on the live videocam; Read daily updates on the BBG blog; View a photo gallery, Plus track the plant’s rapid growth on bbg.org/titan. Also, find links to articles on the natural history of the titan arum, the history of BBG's specimen, and information about growing and conserving this threatened species. Also, visitors can call the information hotline at (718) 623-7333 for updates on the plant’s progress. Background:First discovered in 1878 in Sumatra,
Indonesia by Dr. Odoardo Beccari. Photography Founded in 1910, Brooklyn Botanic Garden (BBG) is an independent nonprofit institution committed to education, research and the display of horticulture. BBG serves communities in New York City and internationally through its world-class gardens, extensive research collections and numerous educational and community programs. Situated on 52 acres in heart of Brooklyn, the garden is home to over 10,000 types of plants and hosts more than 700,000 visitors annually. From April to September, the Garden is open from 8:00am to 6:00pm Tuesday through Friday, and from 10am to 6:00pm on Saturday, Sunday and holidays. From October to March, the Garden is open from 8:00am to 4:30pm Tuesday through Friday, and from 10am to 4:30pm on Saturday, Sunday and holidays. The Garden is closed on Mondays except on public holidays. General admission is charged: $5 Adults; $3 Seniors and Students w/ID; Children under 16, all school groups, Garden Members, and Frequent Visitor Pass holders are admitted free at all times. Seniors are admitted free all-day Friday, and the Garden is free to the public on Saturdays until noon, Tuesdays, and beginning November 21, every weekday through March 1. The Garden has entrances on Eastern Parkway, Flatbush Avenue, and at 900 Washington Avenue in Brooklyn, New York. By subway, take the 2 or 3 train to Eastern Parkway or the Q or B (weekdays only) train to Prospect Park. By bus, use the B41, B47, B48 or B71. Parking is available at 900 Washington Avenue for a fee. For more information call 718/623-7200. Additional information is also offered online at www.bbg.org IF YOU LIKE GARDENS, YOU WILL ENJOY THESE OTHER www.travellady.com stories
http://www.travellady.com/Issues/April05/1396GardenCountry.htm Madeira, The Island of Sad Cows By Richard Frisbie Lovely Lavender By Janice Lovelace WOODSTOCK INN & RESORT BREAKS GROUND WITH A BED AND FLOWER WEEKEND IN JULY Edited by Madelyn Miller Where There’s a Windowsill There’s a Way: The Dirt on Groundbreaking Gardening Edited by Siobhan Welch Gardens of Central Florida By Valerie Summers Year Round Gatlinburg Attraction Inspires Guests By Marilyn Loeser Fantasy In Lights at Callaway Gardens Edited by Erika Wright Honolulu’s High Spots By Chris Millikan Filoli – What’s in a name? By Rosario Charie Albar Stop to Smell the Roses … And Maybe Ballroom Dance at the Butchart Gardens This Summer Edited by Erika Wright Paint Your Own Monet at the New Moulin des Chennevières By Jeanine Buckley Fiji’s Fabulous Flora By Chris Millikan Brooklyn Botanic Garden’s Chile Pepper Fiesta Madelyn Miller is a writer and web entrepreneur who writes for www.travellady.com, www.carladynews.com, www.chocolateatlas.com, www.cocktailatlas.com, www.teaAtlas.com |
|
TM
