Titan arum
Amorphophallus titanum

Family: Araceae

What it is like

A plant which can grow to 6 m tall and spread to 5 m wide. The tuber is round and 65 cm across. It does not have side tubers. The leaves are single. There is a smooth dark green leaf stalk. It has pale green spots. The leaf can be 7 m across. The leaflets are pointed and 40 cm long by 13 cm wide. The flower stalk is 30-70 cm long. The bract around the flower is bell shaped and fluted. It can be 40-1.5 cm long and 1.5 m wide. The outer surface is pale green and the inside rich dark red. The flower is very large and has a very strong bad smell. The flower can be 1 m across and 2 m high.

There are about 170-200 Amorphophallus species.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It grows in Sumatra in Indonesia. It grows up to 1,200 m altitude. It prefers rich moist well drained soils. It is drought and frost tender. It is best with an alkaline pH. It suits hardiness zones 10-12.

Countries/locations it is found in

Asia, Australia, Indonesia (country/location of origin), SE Asia

How it is used for food

Edible parts

Tuber

How it is grown

Plants can be grown from seed. They need to be sown fresh after removing the pulp of the berry. It can be grown from offsets of the tuber and by leaf cuttings.

Its other names

Local names

Synonyms

Amorphophallus selebicus;