Four Really Stinky Flowers

Many plants have odors that are unpleasant to humans. The spring bulb crown imperial (Fritillaria imperialis) has a beautiful tall, stately flower with a "skunky" scent. The white spring blooms of the Callery pear tree (Pyrus calleryana) contain the compound butyric acid that smells "fishy" or like "regurgitation." Even bright-colored marigold flowers (Tagetes spp.) contain terpenes, which have an "acrid" scent. While those flowers may be unpleasant, the plants outlined below smell absolutely abhorrent, as their common names suggest.

Why Do Flowers Have a Scent?

The scent of a flower has a purpose. It provides a communication signal that attracts pollinators and can sometimes repel predators. Chemical compounds that produce scent are generally highest when the flower becomes ready for pollination and decline shortly thereafter. Sweet scents attract bees and butterflies and are most fragrant during the day when bees and butterflies are active. Night-blooming flowers such as white evening primrose (Oenothera caespitosa), flowering tobacco (Nicotiana sylvestris), moonflower (Ipomoea alba), and four o'clock (Mirabilis jalapa) exude their fragrance at night and attract night-active moths. Foul-smelling plants, like those detailed in this article, attract beetles and flies, insects that feed and/or lay their eggs on rotten meat.

Corpse Flower

Corpse flower (Amorphophallus titanium) is also known as titan arum. The botanical name means large misshapen phallus. It is in the family Araceae, known as arums. It is native to the tropical rainforests of Sumatra, Indonesia. While there are sources where it can be purchased, it is enormous and requires a hot, humid environment. It is usually found in conservatories, university collections, and botanic gardens. In the last few years, the public could view the flower and "appreciate" its odor at Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, Phipps Conservatory in Pittsburgh, and Temple University Ambler Campus Greenhouse and Ambler Arboretum, north of Philadelphia, among others.

The titan arum flower has an interesting form, a spadix inside a spathe. The spathe is funnel-shaped, from whose center emerges a tall narrow, erect spadix. The spathe can be 4 feet tall and 3 feet wide. The tan to brown spadix can exceed 10 feet and may contain thousands of flowers. Botanically this is called an inflorescence. The titan arum is the largest unbranched inflorescence in the world. Not only does this flower smell like decaying flesh, but the inside of the spathe is the deep red color of flesh. Both the color and odor draw in carrion beetles and flies. The flower lasts only 24 to 48 hours and blooms once every 7 to 10 years. Pennsylvania gardeners can find other species in the genus Amorphophallus, such as Amorphophallus kiusianus and Amorphophallus henryi. These species are smaller, bloom more frequently, and are hardy in the warmer areas of Pennsylvania.

Vampire Lily

Vampire lily (Dracunculus vulgaris) is also known as voodoo lily, stink lily, dragon lily, dragonwort, and black dragon. The botanical name means common small dragon. It is a tuberous herbaceous perennial native to the eastern Mediterranean, including Greece and Turkey. As it is hardy to zone 7, it can be grown in the warmer areas of Pennsylvania. Where winters are colder, it can be lifted, stored in a cool indoor location, and planted again in the spring (as you would dahlias). Vampire lily grows in part shade to full sun in rich, moist soils. It is in the Araceae family and has the arum family's typical inflorescence. After leaves emerge in spring, deep maroon spathes appear in late spring. The spathes can be up to 8 inches wide and 20 inches tall. Inside the spathe is the nearly black upright spadix. The spadix is almost as long as or just longer than the spathe but is less than an inch wide. The flower is gorgeous but lasts only a day and smells like rotten meat. It is pollinated by flies and beetles.

Eastern Skunk Cabbage

Eastern skunk cabbage (Symplocarpus foetidus) is also known as polecat weed, skunk weed, and swamp cabbage. The specific epithet "foetidus" means foul-smelling. This plant, too, is in the Araceae family. It is a native perennial of eastern North America, including Pennsylvania. Skunk cabbage is hardy to zone 4 and prefers shady areas with acidic soil and moist to soggy conditions. The flowers of this plant emerge in late winter to early spring, often pushing through the snow. It, too, is an inflorescence with a spathe and spadix. The spathe is purple to reddish-brown, mottled with greenish spots, somewhat twisted, and its tip (apex) comes to a point. The spadix is contained within the spathe and is thick and greenish-yellow. The entire flower is about 4 to 6 inches tall. One interesting characteristic of this plant's flower is that it is thermogenetic: it chemically makes its own heat. For nearly two weeks, the spadix can create heat up to 20°F greater than the surrounding air, often melting the snow to become the first spring flower. The flowers and bruised leaves smell like roadkill skunk. The scent lures carrion flies and gnats. It also attracts birds and other insects, perhaps due to its warmth. As the weather warms in spring, bright green leaves appear next to the withering flower. The ovate to cordate leaves grow upright and wrap around each other, looking somewhat like cabbage. It can grow 2 to 3 feet tall and 2 to 4 feet wide. The leaves will wither away at the end of the summer. The root structure is dense and massive, almost impossible to move once established. Be aware that all parts of the plants are poisonous if consumed by humans and their pets, as they contain the compound calcium oxalate.

Carrion Flower

Carrion flower (Smilax herbacea) is also known as common carrion vine and smooth carrion flower. It is a member of the Smilaceceae family of plants. Smilax plants are dioecious, meaning that the male flowers are on one plant and the female flowers are on another. It is a vining, herbaceous, semi-evergreen perennial. A native of Pennsylvania, carrion flower is hardy to zone 4. It is not picky about sun exposure, soil texture, and acidity, as long as the plant has good drainage and adequate moisture. The simple, green leaves are alternate and grow 3 to 6 inches long and 1 to 3 inches wide. Carrion flower is an erect plant with green or purple round stems and tendrils, growing to 8 feet tall. It branches infrequently. This native produces flowers in the late spring to early summer. The greenish-yellow flowers are an inflorescence of 20 to 120 individual flowers, and they take the form of a rounded umbel that is 1½ to 3 inches across. The flowers smell like putrid dead meat and are pollinated by carrion flies, which lay their eggs on the flowers, as well as other small flies and beetles. In late summer, dark blue ¼-inch berries are enjoyed by wildlife, including songbirds. Deer and rabbits browse the leaves, which are edible to humans. The leaves are also a food source for the caterpillar of the carrion flower moth (Acrolepiopsis incertella).