WIU Botany Greenhouse

WIU Titan #2 Time-Lapse Video

2011-09-21T11:19:00.002-05:00

Finally downloaded the pictures from the plant cam to produce this little movie of titan #2. Here are a few highlights to look for; between 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. on the 13th, you will see the spathe ever so slightly start to open and pull away from the spadix, between 3 a.m. and 4 a.m. on the 14th, the spathe appears to stop moving and be fully open and then between 5 a.m. and 6 a.m. on the 14th, it appears the spathe is starting to close.

325% Increase In Titans

2011-09-15T16:08:00.002-05:00

Okay, that sounds like a pretty exorbitant claim. Today, I removed the offshoots from Titan #1 and potted them. The top picture is a "before" picture taken on 9/12/11. The bottom picture is the "after" picture showing the 13 offshoots. So, this morning we started with 4 containers of titans in the WIU Botany Greenhouse and this afternoon we ended with 17 containers of titans, a 325% increase.

Almost Black

2011-09-15T15:59:00.001-05:00

A few pictures to show how dark the spathe is. As always, clicking on a picture will bring up the full size version.

Closing

2011-09-15T15:51:00.003-05:00

The spathe of Titan #2 is slowly closing back up. You can see the slow closing when comparing the above two pictures. The top picture is from 8 a.m. and the bottom is from 2 p.m. today. Yes, it still is producing an odor, not constant but occasionally and not as strong as it did on Tuesday night.

Day After

2011-09-14T09:11:00.002-05:00

Evening Pictures

2011-09-13T23:23:00.003-05:00

A couple of pictures from this evenings opening of Titan #2. It has been taking it's time to open and is still not open fully as of 11:30 p.m. It is producing quite the odor though. It is a much stronger odor than the previous two and has been described as having a cabbage like smell to it. The inside coloration of the spathe is also much darker that the previous WIU Titans. It looks almost like black velvet.

Finally

2011-09-13T14:21:00.003-05:00

Finally, Titan #2 has decided to open. I expect it to take until 7, 8 or 9 p.m. today to fully open. The greenhouse will be open until midnight for anyone that wants to see this first hand.

WIU Titan Family

2011-09-13T09:26:00.002-05:00

In today's picture, you can see all four titans we have in the greenhouse. #1 and #3 bloomed last year (May and June). After blooming, #3 went through the expected routine of dormancy and then growing a leaf, which is now going dormant again. Titan #1 had a little problem after blooming. It initially started to send a leaf bud out but for some reason it aborted it and the bud subsequently died. What #1 is now doing is sending up sprouts from all around the corm. Titan #4 has not produced and inflorescence yet and may be due to the fact that it is a multiple also. This past year there were three leaves in the pot.

Colors

2011-09-12T09:19:00.002-05:00

It seems the colors of the spadix and spathe are intensifying. Is this another sign that it will open soon?

Sunday 9/11 Update

2011-09-11T14:54:00.003-05:00

It is 3 p.m. and Titan #2's spathe has not moved any today. This morning was the first time I could smell the Titan without being right on top of it. It is definitely getting closer to opening, just not today. By this time tomorrow we should know if it will open on Monday or not.

Saturday Update

2011-09-10T08:52:00.004-05:00

Quick update this morning. For the third day now, the change in height has been at one inch daily. I am still expecting it to open any day now. I will be back in the greenhouse between noon and 3 p.m. today to see if it decides to open today.

It's 3 p.m. and the spathe has not budged at all, so it's not going to open today. Will have to wait until this time tomorrow (Sunday 9/11) to see if it decides to open. As always, you can see what is going on with Titan #2 via the live stream.

Camera Upgrade

2011-09-08T23:57:00.001-05:00

Just got done with upgrading the camera for the live streaming video being broadcast on Ustream. Now have night vision and higher quality video image.

Live Video Feed of WIU Titan #2

2011-09-08T13:46:00.002-05:00

UTech pulled it off and has gotten a live streaming video feed of WIU Titan #2 up. Thanks to Jerry, Matt, Mike, Dan, Tim and Katharine at UTech.

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/wiu-corpse-flower

Last Bract Falls

2011-09-08T09:58:00.002-05:00

As you can see by today's picture, the largest and last bract that was surrounding the inflorescence, has shriveled and collapsed. This is a good indication that the spathe should open within a day or two.

Growth Slowing

2011-09-06T09:13:00.002-05:00

We made it through the extended holiday weekend without Titan #2 opening, which is a good thing. As you can see in the growth chart to the right, it has not produced as much growth for the past three days. This coincides with the cooler temperatures we have had but it is also an indicator of the spathe getting closer to opening.

Weekend Update

2011-09-04T12:07:00.002-05:00

Finally, we got some relief from the heat. Yesterday afternoon and evening, a cold front came through and provided about an inch of rain and cooler temps, only 63 this morning. I am hoping the cooler temps will be enough to delay the opening of the spathe until Tuesday. The above pictures, show the largest bract continuing it's decline and also show some insect damage on the spadix. The insect damage is nothing to be alarmed about, it just spoils the aesthetics of the Titan a little.

Getting Closer

2011-09-02T10:57:00.003-05:00

As you can see in today's picture, Titan #2 is getting closer to opening. The large green bract on the right side of the bud is starting to shrivel and lose color. If the titan decides to open over the weekend or on Labor Day (I really hope it waits til Tuesday), I will post on here, facebook and twitter as soon as I know. The greenhouse will then be open until midnight or so for any and all to view and smell this event. As with this picture and all others posted in this blog, just click on it to open up the full size version.

Wednesday Titan Update

2011-08-31T15:00:00.002-05:00

Titan #2 upped it's growth rate in past 24 hours. I'm unable to pinpoint an exact date that it will open, but still expect it to happen within 10 days to 2 weeks. When the last bract falls, within a day or two it should open. Bracts are the green leafy like part that surround the inflorescence bud. In the above picture, there are two green bracts readily visible. A brown bract is at the base of the titan bud. Just to let everyone know, we (well mainly UTech) are looking at providing a live video feed for this titan. Because of various factors, I am not optimistic that they can provide it, so everyone will just have to come see it in person!

Above the Bracts

2011-08-28T08:27:00.003-05:00

If you notice to the right side of the blog, there is a daily listing of Titan #2's height and subsequent difference in it from the previous day. The spadix finally pushed past the tallest bract Friday night/Saturday morning, so that is why there is such a discrepancy in height differences over the past two or three days.

Face the Camera

2011-08-25T09:12:00.004-05:00

Yesterday, I twirled Titan #2 around so all the pretty parts could be seen better. If you click on the picture and have it come up full size, you can just barely see the spadix peeking above the spathe and behind the bracts.

Here we go again!

2011-08-24T08:34:00.003-05:00

This is WIU Titan #2. As you may recall, we have four Amorphophallus titanum (Titan Arums) in the WIU Botany Greenhouse. Last year, May and June 2010, two of them produced inflorescences. Now, Titan #2 is producing an inflorescence. Yesterday morning it was measured to be 19.5" tall. Going by past experiences and data of previous Titans, I would think Titan #2 will open in two or three weeks.

Voodoo Lily in Bloom

2011-02-03T11:01:00.003-06:00

When I got into the greenhouse yesterday, this Voodoo Lilly was in bloom. The greenhouse had received this on May 10, 2010 from fellow WIU employee, Bruce McCormack's mother, who lives in the Quad Cities area. She had said it was an Amorphophallus. I was never really satisfied that it was but once it bloomed, I did more research and determined it to be Typhonium venosum. It has several synonyms including Sauromatum guttatum and Sauromatum venosum. It is found from Tropical Africa to China. It is hardy to -20 C (-4 F). Like the Titan Arum, the Voodoo Lily produces a putrid smell to attract carrion beetles and flesh flies for pollination.

Bananas!

2011-02-03T10:47:00.004-06:00

Musa acuminata cv 'Dwarf Cavendish', Dwarf Cavendish Banana

Having banana plants produce fruit in the greenhouse is nothing new but oh so cool anyway, especially when it's zero degrees out with 16 inches of snow.

For a little past banana history at WIU check this out:
http://www.wiu.edu/users/msjlh2/2%20Feb%2066%20Western%20Courier.htm

WIU Titans Still In The News

2010-09-10T08:55:00.002-05:00

LiveScience has an article about the upcoming bloom of a titan at Binghamton University. The highlighted links lead to articles and pictures of the WIU Titans.

http://www.livescience.com/environment/corpse-flower-bloom-bringhamton-university-greenhouse-100909.html

Audubon Online Article

2010-08-04T11:11:00.003-05:00

Audubon had a news article about the Titan that recently bloomed in Houston, Texas. They also had the time lapse of WIU Titan #3 in the article.

http://www.wiu.edu/news/newsrelease.php?release_id=8279

The Rise and Fall of Titan #3

2010-07-13T15:08:00.004-05:00

This is a cool time lapse of Titan #3. The pictures were taken with a Plant Cam borrowed from the WIU Office of University Relations. It begins on June 16th when the inflorescence was only 29 and 5/8 inches tall with the camera taking one picture every three hours. On June 24th, you will notice the whole plant has been rotated approximately 180 degrees. With the opening of the spathe getting closer, the Plant Cam is reset to take a picture every hour. The 6 p.m. picture from June 29th is of me attempting to pollinate the Titan. The 10 a.m. picture from July 1st has myself and Dr. Edwards caught taking male and female flower samples.

This video can also be seen at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wBZcPpR54Po

The same video but taking only one third of the time to play can be seen at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eQB0O_S7JOQ

Titan #2 Update

2010-07-12T09:28:00.004-05:00

Just to update what Titan #2 is doing. It is a little over four feet tall this morning and the leaf sheaths are starting to split and expose the top of the leaf.

Better Luck Next Time

2010-07-12T09:19:00.003-05:00

It appears my attempt to pollinate did not take. The peduncle (inflorescence stalk) is turning from green to yellow. I now expect the entire inflorescence to wither and the corm to go into dormancy with no fruit and consequently no seed developing.

Let a Little Air In

2010-07-08T10:08:00.002-05:00

This morning, after seeing all the mold on the spadix and the outside of the spathe, I decided to peel the spathe back to see what was going on inside. The white cotton like stuff is mold. I am hoping it will go away with exposure to light and air. The female flowers or carpels are the reddish orange objects while above them are the male flowers. Interesting item, there appears one female flower in with the males. At this point, the carpels still look good so there is hope my efforts at pollination may be successful.

Titans 2 & 3

2010-07-06T09:02:00.002-05:00

The spadix and spathe of Titan #3 continues to wither. Hopefully, the peduncle will stay and have fruits developing on it. The camera for the LIVE! Video Feed on ustream was moved this morning so Titan #2 can now be seen. The above picture is from the same height and angle as that video camera. The white stake to the right of Titan #2 is for reference. It has black lines that are one and two feet from the top of it.

Spadix Collapses

2010-07-05T11:58:00.002-05:00

The spadix on Titan #3 collapsed sometime between early Sunday afternoon and late Monday morning. The peduncle (infloresence stalk) stills seems very solid. This gives hope to my attempt at pollination.

Behind the Spathe

2010-07-02T09:09:00.002-05:00

On the lower portion of the spadix and concealed by the spathe are the actual flowers of the titan. The solid yellow items towards the top of the picture are the male flowers. The female flowers are the red-reddish orange items. The little yellow specs are pollen.

Still Hanging On

2010-07-02T08:58:00.002-05:00

This is what Titan #3 looked like this morning. It is still open some and has a very light smell.

WIU Titan #2 Update

2010-07-01T09:02:00.003-05:00

Titan #2 is slowly growing. This morning it was measured to be 26 inches tall. For the past eight days, it has been averaging only about 1 and 1/4 inches of daily new growth. The picture compares titans 1, 2 and 3 when they were all at approximately same height. If you notice, the shape of Titan #2 bud is different than 1 and 3's, which were inflorescences. I'm thinking #2 will be a leaf. As I know more, I'll post it here.

No Flash/Flash

2010-07-01T08:18:00.002-05:00

As you can see by the captions, both of these pictures were taken this morning of Titan #3. The one on the left is without flash, just natural light, while the right picture is with flash. This is just to show why the Titan appears to be darker in color in some pictures and not in others.

Oh yes, Titan #3 is still open this morning and smelling (some but not like Tuesday night - Wednesday morning). The greenhouse will be open pretty much regular hours 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Monday - Friday.

The LIVE! video feed will be up for a week or so.

There's More to a Titan Than You Would Expect

2010-06-30T17:34:00.004-05:00

10 and 4 ish

2010-06-30T17:18:00.002-05:00

The top picture was taken around 10 a.m. The spathe is still full out at this point and looking in good shape. The bottom picture was taken a little after 4 p.m. As you can see, the spathe has started to close. The edges of the spathe are a darker color, confirming it's continuing decline.

Time Lapse of Titan #3 Opening

2010-06-30T12:04:00.002-05:00

This is a great time lapse video of Titan #3 opening. It was put together by Teresa Of WIU's University Relations Office.

Texture and Color

2010-06-30T07:45:00.003-05:00

From Above

2010-06-30T07:42:00.001-05:00

Greenhouse Open

2010-06-30T05:40:00.001-05:00

The greenhouse is open now this morning for anyone wanting to stop by. It will be open today until 4:30 or so.

Doing Fly and Beetle Work

2010-06-30T00:54:00.003-05:00

This picture is of the female flowers. If you were watching the live feed you would have seen me around 6 p.m. dusting a little pollen on them. The yellow specs are the pollen. When Titan #1 bloomed in May, I collected it's pollen for future use. Of course as always, for a bigger image just click on the picture.

Fully Open

2010-06-30T00:49:00.002-05:00

When the spathe fully opened, it measured 44 inches across. The angle of this picture is from above, about where the live video camera is located. If you watched or are still watching the live feed, this will give you some idea of the overall size as approximately half the spadix is not seen in the live feed.

Titan #3 is Opening!

2010-06-29T13:36:00.002-05:00

Titan #3 is in the process of opening this afternoon. It will be fully open by 8-9 p.m. The greenhouse will be open at least until midnight for everyone to stop by and check it out.

If you can't see Titan #3 in person, follow it on the LIVE! Video Feed.

Is Today the Day?

2010-06-29T08:14:00.002-05:00

Is today the day Titan #3 opens? When I opened the door to the Propagation Room where the titan is located, there was a perceivable odor. It was not very strong but just noticeable. Again, if it decides to open today, we will know somewhere between 1 - 3 p.m. The greenhouse is open usual hours 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The day the titan opens, I will have the greenhouse open at least until midnight. If it is at all possible, you should stop by the greenhouse and see the titan in person. The pictures in this blog and the live feed are good but really do not do it justice.

Titan #3 measured at 79 and 3/4 inches this morning. The circumference was 39 and 3/4".

Another Cool Time Lapse Video

2010-06-28T15:10:00.004-05:00

Another video from Teresa of WIU's University Relations Office showing time lapse photos of Titan #3.

Last Bract Fell

2010-06-28T08:16:00.002-05:00

Last night, the last bract fell on Titan #3. It should open either today or tomorrow. When it decides to open, it will start in the afternoon, sometime between 1 and 3 p.m. and then be fully open by 8 or 9 p.m.

The daily growth has slowed significantly to only 1 and 5/8 inches for the past 24 hours. This is another sign that it will open very soon.

One More Bract

2010-06-27T08:09:00.002-05:00

As you can see in the picture, there is only one bract left to fall away as the one on the left side of the inflorescence fell last night. I expect the remaining bract to fall today or tonight. We should then expect this titan to open Monday or Tuesday.

The daily growth slowed for a fourth day now. The list to the right documents that trend.

The greenhouse will be open today from 1 - 6 p.m. for anyone that wants to check the titan out.

When Titan #3 opens, I will post that alert here as well as on Facebook and Twitter. Oh and I'll be off and on the Live Feed chat feature.

Six Feet Tall

2010-06-26T08:30:00.002-05:00

The daily growth rate for Titan #3 continues to decline for a third straight day. It only put on another 4 and 1/8 inches of height; however, it did exceed the six foot mark. Titan #2 has added another 1 and 1/8 inches in the past 24 hours. That is the fourth day now it has grown and inch or better.

I still believe the opening is 2 to 3 days away. Some of the smaller bracts have turned brown but the two largest bracts are still holding on pretty good. Steven at EIU says when the last bract falls, the bloom will open in 1 -2 days.

#2 on the Move?

2010-06-25T08:44:00.002-05:00

Titan #2 has kicked out a little growth spurt. It has put on an inch to an inch and one-eighth of new height each day for the past three days.

Getting Closer

2010-06-25T08:32:00.002-05:00

The daily growth of Titan #3 has slowed for the second day now. When it was measured this morning, it had only added 4 and 5/8 inches of height in the past 24 hours. I still think it may be 3 to 5 days before it opens, but then I was off on predicting when Titan #1 was going to open.

Rotated

2010-06-24T08:21:00.002-05:00

This morning, I rotated Titan #3 so it's spath would face the live feed camera. This picture is that view. It measured 64 inches tall this morning. That is another 5 inches of height.

Also, in the picture, you may notice a white stick with 2 black lines on it. The lines are one foot and two foot from the top of the stick. I thought this may aid everyone in getting some perspective on the titan's size.

A Little Early

2010-06-23T09:08:00.002-05:00

This is a picture taken yesterday of Titan #2.

Video with Time Lapse

2010-06-23T08:56:00.002-05:00

This is a video put together by Teresa in University Relations.

Front and Back

2010-06-23T08:44:00.002-05:00

A little something different for the picture this morning. The left side is the view of Titan #3 from the same angle as the live video feed camera. The right side of the picture is the side facing away from the live video feed camera.

The height of Titan #3 was measured at 59 inches this morning. It has now passed the height that Titan #1 achieved in May.

Twitter and Facebook

2010-06-22T16:15:00.001-05:00

I've added Twitter and Facebook links, see the list to the right.

Live Video Feed Back

2010-06-22T14:57:00.002-05:00

The internet connection to the greenhouse is back. Live video feed is up on Ustream. I raised the camera so the view is at a different angle than before.

Partial Internet restored

2010-06-22T09:37:00.002-05:00

Titan #3 is 5 and 5/8 inches taller when measured this morning. Up to 53 and 1/8 inches. Internet in Waggoner Hall working so I can update this, however, internet connection for the live feed from the greenhouse still not up. I raised the camera for the live feed, so angle of view will be a little different.

Internet Down

2010-06-22T08:02:00.001-05:00

This morning there is no internet at school. I assume due to the storm that past through last night. Will update this and also get live feed back online when internet is restored.

Welcome to Summer

2010-06-21T08:53:00.002-05:00

With this being the first day of summer, Titan #3 decided to put a little more growth on over the past 24 hours. It measured 47 and 1/2 inches in height this morning. That is 5 and 1/4 inches over yesterday's measurement. I guess the heat and humidity of our Illinois summer agrees with it.

Four More

2010-06-20T09:24:00.003-05:00

During the past 24 hours, Titan #3 grew another 4 inches. This one definitely looks to be on track to be bigger than Titan #1 inflorescence from May of this year.

Getting With The Program

2010-06-19T08:04:00.004-05:00

Titan #3 measured 34 and 1/4 inches tall this morning. That's an increase in height of 4 and 1/4" for the past 24 hours. Check the Daily Growth List to the right and you'll see this is doubled what it has been doing. Spathe and spadix are more exposed this morning.

Spathe Peeks Out

2010-06-18T08:33:00.003-05:00

I guess putting the live video on ustream yesterday helped to reveal that this is an inflorescence and not a leaf. Pulling the bract back a little, shows more of the spathe and then a little of the spadix too.

LIVE Video Feed!

2010-06-17T16:35:00.002-05:00

UTech came through and installed a wireless bridge in the greenhouse, so now I can stream live video of Titan #3.

Check it out at... http://www.ustream.tv/channel/wiu-corpse-flower

Wed June 16th Titan #3 Update

2010-06-16T09:29:00.002-05:00

Titan #3 continues to grow for the past several days at a rate of 2 to 2.5 inches per day.

Daily Growth Change List

2010-06-16T09:22:00.001-05:00

On the right and just below About Me, I have added a list that shows the daily height and growth change for Titan #3.

#3 Shoots Ahead

2010-06-11T09:40:00.003-05:00

Since the last post, Titan #3 has more than doubled in height, surpassing #2. #3 was measured to be 18 and 1/2 inches this morning while #2 was at 11 and 3/4 inches. The shapes of the buds are still quite different, plus #3 has a crook at it's peak now. I'm still thinking #3 will be a bloom but again, still too early to know for sure.

WIU Titan #2 & #3

2010-06-02T11:15:00.003-05:00

As you can see, Titans #2 & #3 are growing. Titan #2 was measured to be 8 and 7/8 inches and Titan #3 was at 9 and 1/8 inches this morning. If you compare the shapes of the two buds, you can see a difference. Does this indicate anything? I'm inclined to think #2 is a leaf bud and #3 is an inflorescence bud; however, it really is way too early to call.

EIU Titan to Bloom

2010-06-02T10:56:00.002-05:00

The Titan that is located in the Thut Greenhouse at Eastern Illinois University is in the process of blooming. This is the second bloom for this plant.

Follow "The Velvet Queen's" second bloom on;

Steven's Blog, Twitter and live.

Equisetum

2010-05-16T11:03:00.003-05:00

I collected this stem of Scouring Rush from the Walter Natural Area for the Botany 200 lab. After the lab was over, I have kept it in a flask of water in the greenhouse as it is an easy one to root. The photo is of the fertile stem's spore bearing cone. As always, clicking on the photo will bring up the full size picture and clicking on the highlighted words lead to pertinent links.

Titan Updates

2010-05-14T11:05:00.002-05:00

I thought I better provide an update for everyone. This picture is from last night of Titan # 1. If you compare this photo with the one from the last post, which was on Sunday, it has really declined this past week. Now on a brighter note, Titan #2 and #3 both grew 5/8 of an inch over the past seven days. Titan #2 was 5 and 1/8 inches tall while Titan #3 was 3 and 7/8 inches when measured at 8:30 this morning.

I am still working on getting a webcam setup for when the next Titan(s) bloom. Utech personnel are investigating several different possibilities. Hopefully, we will have something figured out.

Titan #1 Update

2010-05-09T12:43:00.004-05:00

I was in early today to check the greenhouse and snapped a few pictures of the Titan before heading to Mom's. The inflorescence continues it's decline. The spadix and spath seem to be withering just as rapidly as they appeared. A week ago today it was in all of it's glory. Titan's don't seem to waste any time, one way or the other.

WIU Titans #2 and #3

2010-05-06T07:28:00.002-05:00

Remember back to the April 16th post I talked about the WIU Titan Siblings. Well, Titan #2 has begun to grow some. Go back to the April 30th post to see a picture of it from that day for a comparison.
This picture below is of the WIU Titan #3. It is also just starting to grow. I will be potting it sometime today. I weighed it yesterday and it tipped the scale at 57 pounds.
These two Titans may flower this summer. I won't really know until the new bud gets some size to it, like 18 inches or so. I will provide updates concerning them, so stay tuned.

Thursday May 6th AM Update

2010-05-06T07:17:00.002-05:00

Just posting a picture from this morning of how the inflorescence looked. Compared to yesterday's picture taken at 3:43 p.m., the spadix has folded over more. For all of you alert students out there, you should have noted that I made a mistake in yesterday's post, which I have corrected. I said spath when I should have said spadix. Bonus points to all that caught it.

Spadix Collapses This Afternoon

2010-05-05T16:18:00.003-05:00

The inflorescence continues it's decline with the spadix collapsing this afternoon.

Let's Take A Look Inside

2010-05-04T20:02:00.002-05:00

This afternoon/evening, I cut a hole in the spath with the purpose of collecting pollen. Of course I could not pass up the opportunity to take pictures. The bottom picture shows the actual flowers. This is an inflorescence, remember, which is many flowers not just one. The male flowers are all yellow and are above the reddish female flowers. The male flowers have released their pollen, as you can see, so the female flowers must be closed. Again, if you were taking notes, Titans do not self pollinate because the male and female flowers open at different times. Thus the need to stink and look like red meat to attract pollinators that carry the pollen between two Titans.

Tuesday May 4th P.M. Update

2010-05-04T19:54:00.002-05:00

I am putting these pictures up to show that the spath has closed a little more through out the day. The smell has diminished even more. You have to be practically on top of it to get a good whiff.

Tuesday May 4th A.M. Update

2010-05-04T06:47:00.002-05:00

This morning's post shows how much the spath has continued to close from 8 p.m. yesterday until 6 a.m. today. The greenhouse is open for anyone that wants to stop in. The hours are back to the usual of 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. I also measured the height this morning and it was at 58 and 3/4 inches. I did not measure it yesterday , so since the Sunday morning measurement, it has grown 3/4 of an inch. It still smells, but not like it did Sunday evening. You really have to be fairly close to detect it's aroma.

A Little Different Perspective

2010-05-03T18:23:00.002-05:00

Monday Evening Update

2010-05-03T17:46:00.008-05:00

The pictures below, show the progress of the Titan's spath as it steadily closed through-out the day. The smell also diminished. It occasionally waffles but it is no where near the level it was yesterday evening.

It's Beginning to Close

2010-05-03T05:42:00.003-05:00

Comparing the first picture in this post (1:59:40 a.m.) with the other three, which were taken a little after 5 a.m., you can see the spath is starting to close up. The greenhouse is open for anyone who wants to come by to see and smell it. Yes, it still smells but it's not overbearing like it was yesterday evening.

Inside the Spath

2010-05-03T00:44:00.002-05:00

Finally Picture Time

2010-05-03T00:09:00.006-05:00

It's Opening!

2010-05-02T15:12:00.003-05:00

After spending three hours in the greenhouse this morning, the Titan did not look any different than the previous day. I thought it would not go today but maybe tomorrow or the next day. When I came back in at 3 p.m. I found out I was wrong in my guess. Well, maybe when the other 3 bloom I can make better guesses.

The greenhouse is now open and will be until late tonight for anyone that wants to stop by and see it.

May 2nd

2010-05-02T09:05:00.004-05:00

Titan was 58 inches tall when measured at 8:20 am. This is the second day now that the new growth has only been 1.5 inches. It has definitely slowed it's upward growth. Also, within the past few days, the bracts have really begun to wither and fall away. Best guess for opening is within one to three days. When it does open, it will probably start in the afternoon and be fully open sometime in the late evening. I will post here as soon as possible when it does open.

May 1st

2010-05-01T08:54:00.002-05:00

Titan was 56.5 inches tall when measured at 8:30 am. That is only 1.5 inches of new growth in the past 24 hour time period. I still think it will be next week (around Wednesday) when it actually opens; however, I really won't know positively until it does start to open.

April 3oth

2010-04-30T08:19:00.003-05:00

Titan was 55 inches tall when measured at 8:00 am. For the third day in a row, it has grown 2.5 inches. Physical Plant resolved their steam supply problems so we had heat back in the greenhouse last night. It stayed at a nice 70° to 75° in the greenhouse all night. I'm sure the Titan appreciated that, I know I did.

I thought I would put this last picture up. It shows the second of our four Titans starting to peak out and put a few roots out. I am hoping it blooms too but will have to wait and see. In the middle picture, this Titan #2 is in the big pot to the left of the Titan in bloom and the smaller Titan in leaf.

April 29th

2010-04-29T08:16:00.003-05:00

Titan was 52.5 inches tall when measured at 8:00 am. That matches yesterday's 2.5 inches of new growth in the previous 24 hour time period. Again, last night there was no steam being supplied to the greenhouse for heating so about 1:30 this morning, I got the backup heater going in the Propagation Room where the Titan is located. That brought the temperature up from 59° to 74° for the rest of the night.

April 28th

2010-04-28T07:53:00.003-05:00

Titan was 50 inches tall when measured at 7:30 am. That's 2.5 inches of new growth in the past 24 hour time period. This slow down in growth may be due to night heating problems. The Heating Plant was down all night so not only the greenhouse, but all buildings on campus were not being supplied with steam. So about 2 a.m., when the greenhouse temperature dropped to 59°, I cranked up the portable propane heaters. They brought the temperatures up to 70° to 75° for the rest of the night.

April 27th

2010-04-27T09:03:00.003-05:00

Titan was 47.5 inches tall when measured at 8:30 am. That’s 3 inches of new growth in the past 24 hours. Over the past 5 days, it's daily growth rate has been averaging close to 3.5 inches, with it's overall height going from 30.5 inches to 47.5 inches.
Now, for the $64,000.00 question. Most everyone asks me when the Titan’s inflorescence will open? My best guesstimate is in about a week. I am basing this on information from Eastern Illinois University's H.F Thut Greenhouse Manager Steven Malehorn’s detailed account of the 2008 blooming of the Titan Arum he cares for. His Titan is also from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. When his was of similar height as our Titan is today, the inflorescence of his fully opened about 7 days later.

April 26th Pictures

2010-04-26T08:51:00.002-05:00

Titan was 44.5 inches tall when measured at 8:30 a.m. That's 3 and 3/4 inches of new growth in the past 24 hours.

April 25th Pictures

2010-04-25T10:07:00.005-05:00

Titan was 40 and 3/4 inches tall when measured at 9:00 a.m. That's 3.5 inches of new growth in the past 24 hours.

April 24th Pictures

2010-04-24T08:36:00.001-05:00

Titan was 37 and 1/4 inches tall when measured at 8:30 a.m. That's 3 and 1/8 inches of new growth in the past 24 hours. This growth amount is not quite as much as the previous time period, but I am assuming this is due to the overcast and rainy weather yesterday causing the greenhouse to be cooler than the previous days.

April 23rd Pictures

2010-04-23T09:03:00.002-05:00

Titan was 34 and 1/8 inches tall when measured at 8:40 a.m. That's 3 and 5/8 inches of new growth in the past 24 hours. As you can see in the picture below, the spadix and spath are really beginning to emerge now.

April 22nd Pictures

2010-04-22T08:45:00.002-05:00

Titan was 30.5 inches tall when measured at 8:30 a.m. That's two inches of new growth in less than 24 hours.

April 21st Pictures

2010-04-21T13:15:00.004-05:00

Titan was 28.5 inches tall when measured at 1:00 p.m. The second picture is taken of the west side showing the spadix and spath making their appearance.

April 20th Picture

2010-04-20T10:05:00.002-05:00

Titan was 27.5 inches tall when measures at 8:30 a.m.

April 19th Picture

2010-04-19T08:37:00.003-05:00

Titan was 26 inches tall when measured at 8:20 a.m.

April 18th Picture

2010-04-18T10:00:00.003-05:00

Titan was 24.5 inches tall when measured at 9:50 a.m.

Titan Arum Website Links

2010-04-17T10:16:00.002-05:00

Thought I would add a few links to various websites that are about Titan Arums.

University of Wisconsin-Madison
Marie Selby Botanical Gardens
Eastern Illinois University
University of Connecticut

For even more just click here on Amorphophallus titanum, Titan Arum or Images.