What Is the Name of the Flower That Smells Rotten for Flies?

Characteristics

• Amorphophallus species grow from tubers, and their flower is a leaf-like reddish-purple spathe with an upright spadix. The spadix carries female pistils at the base and male stamens above those. When the plant is ready for pollination, it emits a foul odor; but once it is pollinated, the odor stops. Insects landing on the spadix bring pollen from other flowers of the same species, fertilizing the plant. The plant then traps the insects overnight, sending them off in the morning full of fresh pollen, to fertilize other plants.

Voodoo Lily

• The voodoo lily produces a deep wine-red spathe that resembles the flower of a calla lily (Zantedeschia spp.), another arum family member, although the voodoo lily’s upright spadix reaches twice as high as the flower. While many voodoo lilies are tropical and therefore are grown as houseplants, others thrive outdoors in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 7b through 10. The striking Amorphophallus konjac, with a 5-foot-tall flower, is hardy to USDA zone 6.

Dragon Lily

• Dragon lily gets its name for its flower’s resemblance to the open mouth of a fire-breathing dragon. Its reddish-purple spathe leans sideways, with the deep purple spadix sticking out like a tongue. Its lobed leaves cluster around its spotted stem, which reaches 2 to 3 feet tall. The roots are a skin irritant and toxic if not cooked. It is hardy in USDA zone 7 through 10.

Titan Arum

• Also called corpse flower, this giant plant produces one of the largest flowers in the plant kingdom. The huge, maroon-lipped spathe reaches 20 feet tall and 15 feet wide, resembling an upside-down bell with a tall spadix growing upright in the center. Titan arum blooms only every few years, and the flower lasts for only a day or two. Its odor attracts carrion-eating beetles and flies.