Cairns Botanic Gardens giant comes to bloom

The Cairns Botanic Gardens is home to some impressive tropical flora, including the Titan Arum, affectionately known as the ‘corpse flower’ thanks to its odour.

Dr Charles Clarke is Curator Botanic Areas at the Cairns Botanic Gardens and is a celebrated botanist, ecologist, and subject-matter expert. He told us some interesting facts about these giant flowers.

Why is the Titan Arum such a special flower?

The Titan isn’t a single flower; it’s an inflorescence, which means it bears multiple tiny flowers. There are hundreds of them inside the base of the whole structure – there are some great photos on our Botanic Gardens Facebook page from January this year of the tiny flowers!

They are special because they’re so big, colourful and smelly! Titans only flower sporadically and for a few days at a time.

How many Titans does Cairns have?

We have about 20 Titans in Cairns including our largest plant, Hannibal, that will flower by mid-June. Within the last six months, we have had five Titan flowers, which is an extremely high strike rate and is very rare.

What is the best environment for Titans?

They are originally from the tropics in Sumatra, so they like humid conditions year-round. Titans are typical tropical plants, they have simple needs that must be met or they won’t survive.

They can be temperamental and are subject to lots of diseases when they aren’t in ideal climates.

We put a lot of effort into taking care of our Titans, but even we had a lot of problems caring for them over the years.

What happens after the Titan flowers?

While the flower is abloom, it has the chance to be pollinated. If the Titan is pollinated, it will seed and fruit, taking around six months to mature.

If the Titan is not pollinated, the flower will collapse and flop. The plant will then remain dormant underground for a few months before sending up a new leaf.

The largest Titan Arum in Cairns, Hannibal, is due to bloom by June 2026. Keep an eye on the Cairns Botanic Gardens Facebook page for updates.