Think gardening’s just for old people and Alan Titchmarsh? Think again. Thousands of people have been queuing at the botanical gardens in Nantes, France, to see an enormous rare plant that only flowers once a decade for 72 hours. It’s name? Amorphophallus titanum. Or in non-Latin: Titan’s Penis.
Titan’s Penis (try not to snort) is the largest flower in the world and can reach up to 10 feet in height, so it’s possibly not just the funny name that’s attracting visitors (although the flower in Nantes only reached a puny 1.6 metres).
But if you were thinking about getting one for your garden (and if you have a garden big enough for a 10-foot tall flower, we salute you, for the rest of us there’s this), then beware, as Titan’s Penis (still funny) is said to give off an unpleasant odour, not unlike rotting meat.
It’s native to Western Sumatra in Indonesia (so really bloody hot), so you might want to also think about investing in a really huge greenhouse. Or you could just pencil a trip to Nantes into your diary for 10 years’ time and go and look at it there.
However, for all of you keen botanists, do be careful what you search for if you’re looking online – you may inadvertendly find yourself the proud owner of a Titan Penile Implant. Absolutely no judgment from us if you do, but it won’t look anywhere near as impressive in your new greenhouse.
** Follow Rebecca on Twitter @rebecca_hol**
This article originally appeared on The Debrief.