Just over a month after it spread its petals in Zurich, the world’s largest flower is set to bloom once more, this time in the Swiss capital of culture, Basel. Experts at the Botanical Garden of the University of Basel estimate that their Titan Arum will bloom between June 25 and June 30, 2023.
After the excitement caused by the Titan Arum in Zurich flowering for the first time in four years, avid enthusiasts were probably thinking that the peak of the horticultural calendar in Switzerland had come and gone. Now, those who missed the event in Zurich can hop on a train to Basel to see the largest flower in the world bloom.
As it is the largest flower in the world, it's unsurprising that the Titan Arum is known for its size - growing as high as 3,2 metres and weighing up to 154,9 kilograms. It is also well known for the smell it emits as it flowers, which can be described by anyone in the vicinity as like “rotting flesh”.
Native to the Indonesian island of Sumatra, Titan Arum was originally known by its unfortunate Latin name Amorphophallus titanum or “misshapen Titan penis”, before its new name was popularised by none other than Sir David Attenborough, who thought its original name was too rude for television audiences. For more information about the plant, here's the man himself:
Video: BBC Studios / YouTube
Those wanting to see the Titan Arum in its full glory can visit the Botanical Garden of the University of Basel, where it is expected to bloom between June 25 and June 30, 2023. Once it does bloom, officials from the university have promised to keep the botanical garden open until 11pm on every day it flowers - likely a response to the huge queues seen when the plant flowered in Zurich.
However, those looking to see this marvel of nature better be quick, as the Titan Arum only blossoms for up to three days. Once it is gone, people in Switzerland will likely have to wait up to three years before they can see the spectacle again.
The exact time the flower blooms will be announced by the university as soon as it happens. Those who want to stay updated on the progress of the flower can check out the garden’s website.