Visit one of the Corpse Flower's pint-sized relatives

Date posted: 15 November 2016

While not quite as commanding as the towering Corpse Flowers of Sumatra (Amorphophallus titanum), a pint-sized relative of our stinky stars is in flower at Mount Lofty Botanic Garden – and you’re welcome to take a look tomorrow.

We’ll be opening the Garden’s Nursery – usually closed to the public – between 10am and 12pm on Wednesday 16 November so you can check out our 10-15-centimetre Amorphophallus paeoniifolius (Elephant Yam), which is native to the tropics from India to Papua New Guinea and into northern Australia.

The corms of some varieties of the paeoniifolius are grown as food crops in several Asian countries.

Our little guy isn’t emitting a dead animal stench yet, but there’s a chance it will by the time the Nursery opens tomorrow.

If you’re visiting the Garden, the best bet is to park in the Lower Carpark (off Lampert Road) and then walk to the Nursery following the signs. A map of the Garden can be found on the Visitor information page (the Nursery’s at G16).