Hold Your Nose, World’s Stinkiest Plant About to Bloom – Stinky 2

The County of Hawai‘i Department of Parks and Recreation is pleased to announce the rare flowering of a “corpse plant” at the Pana’ewa Rainforest Zoo and Gardens.

Hold your nose… the Corpse Plant is about to bloom

Amorphophallus titanum, better known as a “corpse plant” for its distinctive aroma when in full bloom, is the world’s largest unbranched inflorescence (cluster of flowers), capable of growing more than 10 feet tall.

“Stinky 2” has a 3-foot-tall bud that’s expected to bloom within the next two to three weeks, said Pam Mizuno, manager of the Pana‘ewa Recreation Complex that includes an equestrian center. When that happens, the plant will release sulfur that smells like rotting corpses, hence its ominous nickname. This odor attracts beetles and flesh flies that pollinate the plant.

In their native habitat of the Indonesian island of Sumatra, corpse plants bloom only a few times in 100 years. This sporadic blooming produces a flower that lasts only a couple days and can weigh hundreds of pounds.

Artist Hiroshi Tagami donated two corpse plants to the zoo in 2002. The plants, estimated to be two years old at the time of the donation, have been thriving in the zoo’s tropical environment. The first one bloomed in 2011, attracting large crowds of curious onlookers and wide-spread media coverage. The corpse flower is growing in the exhibit located next to the zoo’s feral pig and across from the large mixed-parrot aviary.

Located off of Stainback Highway about five miles south of Hilo, the 12-acre Pana‘ewa Rainforest Zoo and Gardens is the only natural tropical rainforest zoo in the United States. More than 100 palm varieties and 80 animal species, including Nēnē geese and Namasté, a white Bengal tiger, can be found at the zoo. It’s open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily, except on Christmas and New Year’s Day. Admission is free.

For more information, call 959-7224 or email panaewazoo@co.hawaii.hi.us.

Stinky Bus Riders?

Wow… I can’t believe the Honolulu City Council would even think of a bill like this, Bill 59-09:

…The City Council is considering a bill that will make it illegal to “bring onto transit property odors that unreasonably disturb others or interfere with their use of the transit system, whether such odors arise from one’s person, clothes, articles, accompanying animal or any other source…”

This is so wrong in so many “SENSES” that I just need to write up something on this.

How many folks work long sweaty construction jobs and then use the bus to get back home?

Who is going to be the official “Smeller”?

I’m sensitive to some female perfumes… can we ban stinky female perfumes as well?

What would happen if the Big Island County Council ever passed something like this???  Heck, many of our riders use the free bus system just to go take a shower!