Corpse Flower Growing at Roseville High School

 A Sacramento-area high school is about to take on a very distinctive, and exclusive, aroma in their greenhouse.

C.J. Addington, biology teacher at Roseville High School passes along the information:

"You may recall that last month there was a blooming of the huge and rare "Titan Arum" flower (Amorphophallus titanum) at UC Davis. 

Ernesto Sandoval of UC Davis Tends to Ted the Titan

Also known as the 'Corpse Flower' because of its pungent rotten-meat odor, this exotic giant bulb from Indonesia is difficult to grow and bloom, often taking ten years or more to reach flowering size. You normally only see them at large universities and botanical gardens with the staff and resources to nurture them for years on end. 



However, we are thrilled to announce that Roseville High School, right here in the Sacramento metro area, has now successfully also brought a Titan Arum to bloom, and we have been told that we are the very first K-12 public school anywhere to achieve this feat. 

CJ Addington and a young Tiger the Titan

We have been growing two of these plants in the greenhouse on the RHS campus, and realized this week that our ten year old specimen is making its very first bloom ever. We have decided to name it "Tiger the Titan" after our school mascot, and will be opening our greenhouse for a public viewing (and smelling!) when the flower opens, which we estimate will happen on or around July 25 or 26. 

We will be posting information on our school website (http://www.rosevilletigers.org/) starting Monday the 18th about how and when the public may see our prize flower, but in the meantime, folks can follow the progress of the bud at our Flickr page (http://www.flickr.com/photos/norcalaroids/ ). 

The Titan Arum blooms at UCD are always a big attraction, and we believe that the first Titan bloom at a high school is a neat twist on these fascinating organisms. I think that it's pretty cool that a lowly suburban high school like us has now achieved what only universities have pulled off before."

Congratulations to Roseville High, not only for raising the Titan Arum, but also for instilling an interest in plants among their students!

(and thanks to Carri Stokes of the Between the Limes blog for the pictures of Ted the Titan at UCD)

Amanda Poletti, Carri Stokes and Kat Chaussee admiring Ted the Titan at UCD last month